


At the Cusp

by sparrow_z



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - K/DA (League of Legends), Blood and Injury, Demon/Human Relationships, Demonic Possession, Demons, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, bumped the warnings up because of future chapters, im new at this, tags will most likely change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:20:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrow_z/pseuds/sparrow_z
Summary: It was when Akali wrote this song for Evelynn that something peculiar happened. It was confusing, and definitely unexpected. As the feelings started blossoming, an unforeseen presence made itself clear. Everything went from bad to worse. But the girls refused to concede, and planned their defense against what seemed to be the biggest threat on humankind yet.---My own take at how the KDA girls interact with each other, but with a twist.I follow loosely established League canon. Don't expect everything to be accurate, I'm just having fun.
Relationships: Ahri/Kai'Sa (League of Legends), Akali/Evelynn (League of Legends), Lucian/Senna (League of Legends)
Comments: 45
Kudos: 206





	1. The Song and The Magic Trick

Her voice was echoing through her brain like a bell tolling.   
After the song stopped playing, a few words kept ringing and she surprised herself thinking about wanting _her_ to say them at the cusp of her ear.  
"So?" said a low velvety voice.  
"Huh?"  
"What did you think?" she pressed on.  
"Honestly?"  
"Of course honestly, did you think I asked for a dishonest opinion?"  
"I'm at a loss for words."

Akali looked at Evelynn with her mouth slightly open, smirking from satisfaction.  
"You? _At a loss for words?_ " repeated the one with silvery hair. She rose her eyebrows.  
"Yeah."  
"You wrote the god damn lyrics Kali. Are you so enamored with yourself?" she teased.  
"You know damn well what I meant Evie." dismissed Akali with a chuckle.

Evelynn caught herself staring at the young woman. She rolled her eyes and put her hand on Akali's shoulder.  
As Evelynn's hand pressed softly on the fabric, Akali shivered.  
"Do you really have to keep those on all the time? Isn't that just really annoying to do literally anything with?"  
"Well well, so eager to disarm me huh?" whispered Evelynn to Akali's ear as she strutted past to exit the recording room.  
Akali turned her head as she went, breathing the hot whiff of perfume. It was sweet but acidic at the same time. Intoxicating like the rush hard alcohol gives. She dismissed that thought and got up in turn, leaving the recording room.  
Something however, felt entirely different now. Even though she wasn't quite sure what.

"How was it??" asked Ahri excitedly. "Why weren't we allowed to listen?"  
"It's what surprises are supposed to be like Ahri." said Evelynn pushing her glasses back up her nose with one of those armored claw rings she wore all the time.  
"It's night time, you could remove your sunglasses." said Kai'sa from the nearby couch where she was reading a book. "Plus, we know about your irises, it's not like you're outside."  
She pinched gracefully at the sunglasses and with delicate attention put them away, revealing two intense golden orbs slitted in the middle like a viper's eye.  
"Good point." she agreed.  
Of them four, she wasn't the only one to have special eyes. But she also didn't like direct light being shone in them. She was a nighttime sort of gal, a darkness enjoyer, a shade lover.   
While brightness didn't necessarily disturb her that much, she never went outside without a sun umbrella when it was particularly sunny, and rarely let go of her round sunglasses even when inside.  
One could almost say she was insecure about how people perceived her, and judged how her eyes would look. But the truth was that she also had this burn to her stare. And if you were the one to catch it, she could dig inside your brain, read your soul and make you lose your mind.  
Not that her friends believed that nonsense, but Akali started to believe there was something else than just viper eyes behind that look.  
She didn't mind them. She thought they were beautiful, like rare stones, gold opals.  
"You know, Kali and I were talking earlier, and we think the dark magenta fits you better." said Ahri sipping what seemed to be some sort of soda.  
"Oh were you now?" she asked, her eye looking at Akali who had stopped dead in her tracks as she headed to grab a glass for herself. "Pour me one, will you love?"   
Akali did as asked, though she didn't ask what drink she wanted and filled the whiskey glass just as she did for herself. The clinking noise of the cold rocks hitting the glass made her wonder. _Was she flirting with her just then?_ At the thought, Akali smirked and swiftly decided to play the same game to make sure she understood correctly. She knew it was common for Evelynn to tease and flirt, but she wondered if this time she could push it further.  
She leaned in from the back of the chair Evelynn had sat down. Well aware of how close she was giving her neck, and grabbed Evelynn's hand to put the glass of alcohol in a gentle motion.  
"Your drink, _darling_ " said Akali with reverence, the same way Evelynn would have said herself.  
A low chuckle rumbled in the demon's throat.

Skin was close, she could feel the warmth from the blood pumping in her jugular. She grabbed a discreet whiff of Akali's scent. She could distinguish desire in-between the layers of the soft, woody fresh fragrance. She felt her own fangs with her tongue, taking delight in the tease.  
Akali moved backwards, and before she could go, Evelynn turned her head to the left brushing Akali's jaw with her nose.   
Ahri was too busy tapping on her phone to take notice, Kai'sa on the other hand looked attentively from behind her book. Evelynn owned the room, she knew who would look and who wouldn't. Control was her favorite thing after all.  
Akali jolted at the touch of her skin. But while it was sudden, she still managed to not spill her drink or herself for that matter. She sat down cross-legged in the biggest of the armchairs. She sunk into it and was glad for it, as it gave her some of her composure back.

Evelynn could now feel Akali's confusion. The odd happiness that brought her made her lips crook in a smile. Her eyes now focusing solely on Akali's body language.  
Akali on the other hand looked at the cold rocks spinning in her whiskey glass. She could tell that Evelynn stared but for the sake of the game, she showed nothing. Or at least that's what she thought she could do.  
"I'll give you that Kali. I think you might be right." said Evelynn in a soft detached voice.  
"About?" teased Akali while still getting mesmerized by the spin of the rock inside her glass.  
"My hair."  
"Mh. Then again silver also fits you. Anything would." said Kai'sa dropping her book closed on the nearby table. "Food?"  
"Are we ordering?" said Ahri excitedly.  
"Unless you want to wait for me to get something done, yeah." said Kai'sa looking at Ahri.  
"We will have to wait either way." said Akali. She took a good sip of whiskey and looked up, making sure to make eye contact with Evelynn.  
Her eyes were distinctly stabbed into hers now. Kai'sa noticed but didn't care, it was common for Evelynn to toy with the three others on regular occasion.  
"Can we get something nice? Does this Italian place deliver?" asked Ahri like a child. She then pointed at her phone towards Kai'sa, taking up all of her attention.  
"I'm okay with Italian." said Evelynn taking a sip of whiskey while she still looked at Akali. Her eyes like a knife.  
"Kali?" said Ahri pushing herself forward to catch her eyes.  
Akali turned her head and nodded in response. She swallowed her saliva, a bit more difficult than she thought.

Evelynn still watching, now more softly. Her mouth opened up slightly in a smile, her bottom lip catching on her fang. She let her head rest on her left hand as she held her glass in the right. She thought about what Akali's skin would feel like under her bite. She wanted to play, with her no less. Tease and pain were her favorite things to do to players. They never expected the cold hard truth of what she was. She had not gotten a decent tease fight in years. She'd become good at handling herself for the sake of how K/DA had become a pop phenomenon. But not letting herself go as often also meant she took every fight very seriously. Or at least as serious as you can be, when your ultimate goal is to bed who it was you fought. Murder wasn't as easy nowadays.

Akali felt heavy. She decided to focus on the alcohol and the odd spin the rock was still doing. The amber color of the drink soothing her. The gold stare still stabbing her lips as if she wanted to rip them off of her face. Evelynn was definitely flirting. Maybe even more. Something unusual had happened to the look Evelynn had given her. Something more needy, more powerful, than just a teasey look.  
Kai'sa had felt it, so did Ahri now. The tension had started building up to a point where something needed to be done for Evelynn not to let her lashers loose.

"Hey. Hey hey!" said Kai'sa snapping her fingers at Evelynn. "Your Allure is starting to get unbearable. Can you at least not do that when we're all running on empty stomachs?" she said in a way that left no way for Evelynn to continue.  
"All right ma'am. Did you order that food yet?" she said with an eyeroll.  
"I'm starving." said Akali finishing her glass in one go. "Also Evie, don't listen, your Allure is bearable." she winked and smiled at Evelynn.  
"Wait who was Eve flirting with just then?" said Ahri her face clearly showing surprise. She glanced at Kai'sa then at Evelynn then at Akali back and forth. Evelynn was still staring at Akali's lips. Ahri looked at them both a few times. "Oh. Oh.. I see."  
"Ahri sometimes it scares me how oblivious you can be, sweetheart." said Evelynn while standing up. "I'll be right back." she said, heading out the main room towards the bathroom.  
Akali looked at Evelynn's back as she walked out the room. Even her walk had something inherently sensual. _How can somebody exude so much sexual energy?_ She thought. It made her chuckle quietly. When Evelynn was finally out of the room, Akali shook her head as if she was trying to wake up.

"Kali, you need to be careful with her." said Ahri.   
"I know, she doesn't scare me."   
"She should." cut Kai'sa.  
"Why should she? I took on worse than her." snapped Akali back at Kai'sa.  
"That's what you believe. Her ways are insidious, paved with pain."   
"I'm not afraid of a bit of pain. I've seen my own share." said Akali with a sad look at the bathroom door.  
"That's exactly why you should be worried." said Ahri sipping on her soda.  
"I don't understand." began the songwright.  
"She feeds on pain. Agony." continued Ahri "Anything with Lynn, hurts."

Akali didn't answer to this. She didn't really understand what they meant by Evelynn feeding on pain. But after all of them four, she was the only one _really_ human. And maybe that was where the whole difference was. She elected to not care and question all that had happened.  
Meanwhile on the other side of the door Evelynn had heard the interaction between the three other girls. And while she understood the way Ahri and Kai'sa warned Akali she couldn't but feel a bit hurt about how they would say _she_ could only be a danger to others. But she chuckled at how brave (or stupid) Akali had been. This poor soul had really no clue. Surprisingly, Evelynn thought that maybe, only maybe, she could be the one to bring something new to the table. Something she hadn't felt yet.   
She walked over to the bathroom and stared at her own eyes for a minute before running cold water on her face.

The group of girls ended up having Italian food as planned. The tension having dropped back down to something more bearable. The chatter going on about how good a songwriter Akali was, while Akali praised Evelynn's voice.  
"Will we be able to listen then?" said Ahri while finishing her plate.  
"You know what, sure. We need to go to the recording room for good sound though." said Akali.  
"You're gonna love the lyrics." said Evelynn to Ahri. "They're of pinpoint accuracy." she added.  
"Got to expect it from the rogue no?" said Akali with pride.  
Evelynn nodded in agreement while still sipping on her glass of red wine.  
"Do you ever get drunk?" asked Kai'sa genuinely.  
"Nh-hn." she nodded no while swallowing the red liquid.  
"Damn, that's practical." said Akali "I can hold myself in a regular drinking contest but there's no way I can win against you then." she added without really thinking.  
Kai'sa and Evelynn laughed in unison.  
"I'm terrible at drinking." said Ahri a bit sad.  
"Maybe you never got taught how to drink." said Akali almost motherly.  
"Perhaps." answered the kitsune. "I think it has something to do with my magic."  
"I doubt it Riri." said Evelynn. "If you can resist my Allure like _that_ , I'm pretty sure Akali is right."  
"Wait what do you mean?" asked Akali curiously.  
"My allure is like a sort of venom, akin to something close to alcohol or drugs." said Evelynn almost as if she was being a scientist exposing facts. "Its perceived only by certain people, and humans are particularly weak to it as they usually are more likely to engage in substance use." she took another sip of wine.  
"Do you have complete control over it?" asked Akali without thinking it could be a touchy subject.  
"No." responded Evelynn dryly.  
Everything went quiet for a minute. Awkwardly, Ahri got up and went towards the studio room door.  
"Come on now, let's listen to this track you two came up with." 

Her smile broke the awkwardness and one after the other the girls went inside the recording room. Everything muffled in the sound pads on the walls. Akali took the seat of the mixer to launch the playback on the computer without any issue.  
Evelynn had put her sunglasses back on. Not that the studio lights were any bright. It was almost darker than anywhere else in the two story penthouse.   
Akali pressed play. Singing along the lyrics of this new song. Evelynn mouthing the lyrics as well. Kai'sa had her eyes closed, she always did that when listening to music. And Ahri had this glow in her eyes that meant she was enjoying herself more than usual.  
As the song went on, Akali and Evelynn's eyes crossed. In harmony their mouths moved. There it was again, this fragrance. Intoxicating.

"Wow." said Ahri.  
"Yeah that." added Kai'sa "Is this _you know_ , the other you?"   
"Mhm." nodded Evelynn.  
"The other you?"   
"Can you girls explain? I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed." said Evelynn abruptly.  
She left the room without waiting for anyone to agree. It was something she did. Whatever she wanted, she had. So when it was time to go and retreat to her quarters, she did without warning and didn't expect anyone to stop her.  
Except this time Akali had followed her. Just as smoothly as that, without a sound, she had gotten inside Evelynn's room.  
"What if I want to have the explanation from you." said Akali a touch of defiance in her tone. "Hm?"   
"I have no desire, nor the strength to explain with words, and I am not sure you want to … _see_ it yet." answered Evelynn in a deep velvety voice.  
"Who are you to tell me what I can, and cannot deal with?" said the girl, taking off her jacket, sitting on the bed looking directly at her housemate's eyes.  
Evelynn turned away, removed all the claw rings one by one in silence. Pulled the round glasses off of the bridge of her nose and put them on her table. She sighed with a bit of dread.   
"I am not going anywhere Eve." said Akali, crossing her legs leaning back on the bed.  
"That's where the problem lies, love." she said, releasing her silvery hair from the bun she had that day.  
As Evelynn turned back to face Akali, she let her lashers loose. Her Allure oozing so heavily out of her that anyone sane would have already been too far gone. Her skin went from pale rose to anthracite grey.  
Akali stared but didn't flinch. Evelynn's eyes were searing like red hot metal. She stepped forward to get closer to Akali.  
"Here's the _other_ me." said Evelynn in a voice Akali didn't know. The lashers playing gently with the rogue's hair.

Akali closed her eyes and took a breath of the intoxicating smell. But to Evelynn's surprise she didn't faint, nor did she scream. She was surprisingly still. Nothing had gone the way she expected. And for the first time in her life she had lost control.  
Evelynn was still a meter or so away from the bed. Akali got up, staring directly in Evelynn's eyes. As she walked closer, her hand ran gently on top of the lasher. Cold like serpent skin but soft and delicate like leather.   
Evelynn was like frozen. She left Akali's stare for a blink. And from the back of her left ear, she felt the hot breath of the songwright.  
"I'm not afraid of a bit of darkness." she said in a controlled voice.  
Evelynn blinked again, her eyes searching for Akali in the room. No light. Only the searing shine from her own eyes. She could see in complete darkness. But she could not see Akali.   
"Looking for someone?" said Akali to Evelynn's right ear.   
"How are you doing this?"   
"You are not the only one with a trick up your sleeve. I hope you realize it now." said Akali's voice almost like a distant echo.  
The sudden darkness had lifted from the room. The taste of smoke suddenly filled Evelynn's mouth. She was alone. Akali nowhere in sight.  
She laughed. Maybe this would be more interesting than she originally thought. She sat where Akali was sitting on the bed and laid down completely. Turning back slowly to a more human look. Her skin bare on the silk drapes. She didn't expect of all her bandmates for the human to be more a challenge than the kitsune, or the void chosen either.  
Akali had decided to return to her own room after this confusing but pleasurable interaction. Her heart was beating so strongly inside her chest that she was certain anyone could hear it. Instead of heading straight to her room she took a detour to grab a glass of whiskey again. Ahri and Kai'sa had already gone to their own rooms after Akali had said swiftly and quietly "Don't explain to me, I'll figure it out myself." to which they both shrugged and let the rogue be the bringer of her own demise if it so happened.  
She had expected Evelynn to be some sort of demon or shapeshifter. She didn't expect however that she had to use most of her talent to dissimulate herself from her. Fortunately she had bet on the right assets. Controlling her heartbeat and her mind as she used complete darkness to move about. And some ninja sound trick to make her as elusive as a pack of wolves. If anything, this interaction made her realize that she would need to have knives on herself now.   
She took a long sip of whiskey. She was gonna need a lot more than courage tonight. Even though she believed that Evelynn wouldn't want to _scare her off_ for the sake of K/DA.  
She wasn't scared of Evelynn though. She was scared that she enjoyed being around her. Old memories rushing back to her brain, things she didn't want to think about. Her relationship with the darkness in her heart was what she was wary about. Nobody had inflicted that to her but herself. Physical pain didn't count. A scar on the skin would heal. The scar in her heart was wide open, like a never ending pit, and delving in that darkness was different.

The next morning, Kai'sa had found Akali in the couch, the bottle of whiskey empty by the side of her hand.  
A loud snore came out of her opened mouth as Kai'sa was fetching the bottle to throw it away. She had to repress a laugh. This was usually how things went with Lynn after she showed anyone her real form. She decided that she would make Akali breakfast before anybody came along. In a few minutes time, the room smelled of fried eggs and coffee. And Kai'sa brought the coffee cup to Akali's nostrils, just like she did before.  
"This is the best way to wake up." Kali opened an eye slowly. "Sooo … I might have been drinking last night."  
"I noticed."  
"I'm fine." said Akali with a yawn. "You know, in case you were wondering."  
"I wouldn't call, _that_ , fine." said Kai'sa showing the empty bottle before throwing it in the trash.  
"Listen." said Akali sitting up too fast. She regretted doing so a second after doing it.   
"No, you listen Kali. We can't afford to have you indulge in this." she said slightly upset. "Now that you heard it from me, do you want orange juice with your breakfast as well as the coffee?"  
"Yeah, that and an aspirin please." she said with a tired groan. "But hear me out Kai-" before she could finish her sentence Kai'sa had put her index on her mouth and shushed her as she put the plate of food in front of her with the cup of coffee.   
"I do not want to hear it." said Kai'sa gently. "I just want you to be healthy. I know what alcohol does to humans."  
"Trust me alcohol is the _l_ _east_ of your worries then." said Akali raising both her eyebrows and grabbing the plate of eggs. "Thank you for this." she added lifting the plate.  
"My pleasure." answered Kai'sa with a smile. She shook her head and added "Hold on one second, what do you mean by _alcohol is the least of my worries_ "   
"I can handle drinks. My problem is how mental pain is the only fuel to my creativity." said Akali mindlessly while chewing on her egg.  
Kai'sa gave her a confused look. Akali sipped on the orange juice and gulped on the aspirin.   
"What. You don't get this?" said the songwright.  
Kai'sa nodded no.  
"Well my brain does this thing where I overthink a good 90% of the time, and I have a very vivid way of remembering things that happened in my life, as well as imagining what could happen." she took a long sip of coffee. "It probably has something to do with the training I went under for so long."  
Kai'sa nodded. "I'm not sure I understand completely but, I just want you to be safe."  
"Well thanks Kai, I really appreciate that, really." said Akali "Plus, you could just make me breakfast like that every day, I'd be fine for certain." she added with a laugh.  
Kai'sa laughed as well.  
"Now don't start thinking you can have me make you breakfast every day, you lazy idiot." she pretended to be upset and gave her a fake punch in the shoulder, but ended up laughing as Akali giggled.  
"I appreciate you all too much to get lost in the bad again." said Akali softly.  
She laid back down in the couch making herself more comfortable than previously. Grabbed a magazine from under the glass table and read mindlessly through it as she kept sipping on the coffee as it became colder.  
Half an hour after this discussion had taken place, she sat up slowly, and got up. The hangover feeling had passed for the most part. She headed towards the bathroom a bit clumsy and entered without knocking.  
She found herself facing an extremely sleepy Evelynn which, in hindsight, still looked extremely good.   
"Oh, my bad." said Akali taking a step back to let her bandmate get out.   
"Good morning to you too Kali." said Lynn dropping a kiss on her cheek as she left the bathroom.

Evelynn exited the bathroom without paying much attention to what Akali's reaction was. She had had a terrible night and right now the only thing pushing her was the smell of coffee.   
Akali had locked herself in the bathroom. Her cheeks crimson. _What the hell was that._ She thought. She rinsed her face with fresh water and sat down on the side of the oversized bathtub. She had been completely taken aback. Surprised even. How did she not notice the bathroom door was unlocked but someone was inside. Maybe Kai'sa was right after all. If alcohol was the culprit, she might have to avoid drinking for a while. At least until she could feel completely at ease next to Evelynn again.  
Meanwhile in the other room Kai'sa had poured Evelynn a massive cup of coffee, black no sugar.   
"Rough night?" asked Kai'sa gently.  
"You could say that." grumbled Evelynn. "Do you ever struggle to sleep?" she asked without expecting any answer.  
"Not really. I do meditation."  
"Maybe I should give _that_ a go." said the girl with the golden stare.  
"I think you need to get laid." said Ahri who had come in wrapped up in a soft blanket.  
"Probably that too." she took a long sip of coffee "Good morning Riri." she added grabbing her face for a kiss on her cheek as she passed by.  
Ahri shivered. It always happened this way. Every now and then, Evelynn would greet them like this in the morning. And every time, Ahri was unprepared. Evelynn thought it was cute. She never did that to have that sort of reaction. But she did enjoy it every time it happened.   
Something was different this morning. Evelynn was dripping Allure all over. Like a cocoon of smoke surrounding her only reaching you if you got close enough to her. She didn't really notice it either, which wasn't common.  
"Uh Eve." said Kai'sa. "Are you _aware_ right now?"  
"How _aware_ do you think I am, I barely slept." answered Evelynn with a disgruntled sigh.  
"I meant, are you _aware_ aware." repeated Kai'sa with a worried tone.  
"Kai, speak English I _beg_ of you." said the silver crowned woman.  
The word beg coming from her had extreme depth. As if she directly asked for whoever listened to beg. Whatever reason was good enough for begging.   
Kai'sa repressed the spike of desire the Allure sparked. It wasn't as easy as yesterday.   
"Evelynn, you need to get your Allure under control. I-"  
"Oh." she interrupted. She looked at her hands. She wasn't wearing her claw rings, nor her round sunglasses, only a silk robe hanging low on her shoulders. Her hair like a spider web resting lightly on her collarbones. "Am I making you uncomfortable like this?"   
"I wouldn't say uncomfortable." said Akali from the door.   
"Kali don't do this." mouthed Kai'sa.  
"I can read your lips when you do that Kai, _you know?_ " said Evelynn teasingly.  
Ahri sighed loudly and casually rubbed her eyes with her thumb and middle finger, as if to say _Oh this isn't going to end well_ which she knew it wasn't.  
Evelynn stood up and turned around to take a glance at Akali. Surprisingly the rogue wasn't where Evelynn expected her to be. She blinked slowly and turned back towards Kai'sa and Ahri.  
"Kali _where_ are you." she sang.  
"Right there Lynn." answered the rogue in a snap. She was helping herself a glass of water at the sink. Evelynn was slightly surprised to find her there of all places. She could have sworn she was behind.  
"Your eyes playing tricks on you?" asked Ahri a bit confused.  
Kai'sa was just smiling. Akali could evade Evelynn, that was way beyond surprising. Surreal almost. Usually Evelynn could track anyone, even in complete darkness. Something about heartbeats and the mind rumbling at thoughts they knew they should not be having. She didn't know the specifics. What she understood though, was that Akali had more control over her own body than anyone else in this room.  
The silver crowned girl smiled, all teeth out. Both fangs poking at her lower lip. She then pinched her lips in an odd smirk-pout and closed her eyes.  
She focused. Hard. On hearing Akali's heartbeat. A steady sixty-two beats per minute. Once she had learned the beat she then focused on finding her smell. Sandalwood? No, more like fresh pine. But the natural scent was broken by the acidic synthetic smell of paint. Faint motor oil touch. Odd perfume, she thought. But still delectable.  
"Now now, so eager." said Akali looking intently at Evelynn. "Of everything I believed you were, I never pictured you for eager Eve."  
"If you had only the slightest idea of what I'm doing right now. I wouldn't play the way you are right now." said Evelynn, her eyes still sealed shut.   
"Surprise me."  
Evelynn opened her eyes, Akali had left. Kai'sa and Ahri both staring from the couch. She didn't even hear them move. She looked at them both, pinched her lips in a forced smile and pointed her finger at the staircase. Asking them wordlessly if the rogue had gone this way. To which Ahri and Kai'sa nodded vigorously.  
Electronic music suddenly started blasting in Akali's bedroom. Oriental to a certain extent. Some rapping mixed in. Almost tribal.   
She opened the door. Closed her eyes and focused on the heartbeat she had just heard. It was harder to find now with the music beats. She didn't think about how her lashers were out, of their own volition. She didn't realize what the song playing said. She took a huge breath. As she released the air back she left her mouth hanging open. Her eyes opened. The same darkness as last time. She couldn't see Akali in this odd smoke. But she could feel her. She could feel Akali staring at her golden eyes searching for her.  
"Kali. Are we playing hide and seek?" murmured Evelynn in an extremely playful tone.  
"What is it you are seeking though Lynn." said an echo of Akali's voice in Evelynn's ear. The music started to be louder.  
"You _my little rogue_. You, and maybe something more.... _intense_ -" she said in a growl.   
Akali's heartbeat began to grow uneven. Evelynn's stare snapped left.   
"Darkness isn't going to help you, Akali. Not this time." 

A lasher brushed along Akali's leg. While last time they were cold to the touch, this time it was searing hot. Akali winced in pain as discreetly as she could. She closed her eyes for a second, pushed away the pain and threw a throwing knife, to cut Evelynn's cheek ever so slightly.  
"Oh so you _are_ a fighter.~" she said touching the hot liquid dripping from her cheekbone. Her fangs suddenly looked bigger. Her eyes animated with an odd sort of excitement.  
"Arousal." said Evelynn.  
Akali held her breath and smoothly put herself at the back of Evelynn, putting her knife under her chin. Her free hand grabbing the wrist of her left arm. Evelynn's skin was burning. Literally. Akali surprised, loosened the grip for half a second.   
"Slow, slow, slow." said the demon softly.   
Akali had lost sight of her in the dark. In this half second time frame Evelynn had freed herself from her and taken the advantage.   
"Who plays with the devil, gets what the devil does." whispered Evelynn in a raspy low pitch. She was facing Akali only centimeters away. Her eyes closed she was one with the dark. Akali's heartbeats were even more uneven as before.   
"And what does _that devil_ do?" dared Akali. The intoxicating perfume was there again. A warm rush in her lower back. She kept her her eyes closed. Evelynn's viper glare so piercing now. Even with closed eyes Akali could feel her eyes cutting her at her neck like the sharpest of blades. Evelynn opened her mouth and breathed out slowly, the most powerful part of her Allure.   
There was the venom she was talking about. Thought Akali. She took a whiff. She regretted it almost as instantly as Evelynn did. The room was still dimly lit, but the darkness was gone. Akali on top of Evelynn on the ground, an knife to her throat. Breath ragged. Akali like entranced.  
"Kali. Enough." said Evelynn.  
"You _do not_ tell me, what to do." she hushed Evelynn with the dull end of her blade. "Tell me why I shouldn't give in."  
"You haven't so far." said Evelynn enjoying the pressure of the knife back on her throat. Evelynn snapped her fingers at Akali's ear. She shook her head. Saw herself on top of Evelynn knife still pushing in her throat without cutting. A sudden feeling of panic instilled her mind. She dropped the knife. Jolted back. She wanted to scream. Evelynn back to her human self got up in turn.   
"What the hell did you just do to me." said Akali on the brink of a panic attack.   
"Now now, hush." answered Evelynn pressing her warm lips on Akali's neck.   
Electricity. Like her brain had short circuited. She went from panic to calm, too fast.  
"I-" began Akali emptily.  
"Yes?" whispered Evelynn.  
"I can't do this."   
At those words, all of Evelynn's Allure dropped. She was shocked. Never before had someone refused her.  
She didn't push it. She took a step away from the rogue. Stared at her.  
"Get out." said Akali dryly.  
"No." said Evelynn just as dry.  
Akali's eyes crossed Evelynn's. The usually so bright gold pearls were dim.  
"All right then. Promise you won't do that again?" said the songwriter a lot more softly.   
"Sure." spat Evelynn.  
"No. Tell me you promise." insisted Akali.  
" _I promise._ " said Lynn in a sad sigh.  
Akali laid down on her bed softly like a feather landing. She tapped the mattress for Evelynn to come lie down next to her. And then as Evelynn did, giving her back to Akali. Akali hugged her.  
It was strange for her. She had just been refused, but now Akali was suddenly okay with physical touch? She didn't question. Akali was a good hugger.   
"You want to ask don't you." said Akali tightening her arms around Evelynn.  
"What am I supposed to _not do again_ exactly?"   
"Snap me out of it."  
"Oh Kali my dear." Evelynn said bitter. "If I do that, I'll lose you for good."   
"You seem to think I _can't_ handle you." said the rogue in defiance. "I've had worse than everything you put me through so far." she added.  
Evelynn focused on Akali's heartbeat, she was saying the truth. Or at least she believed it was the truth. Evelynn closed her eyes. Something very special had happened. This feeling, like trust. No, it was trust, that Akali gave her. Trust wasn't a feeling Evelynn had ever tasted from whoever she had preyed on. Especially not somebody she just had given a taste of her Allure like she just had.  
It felt weird, like uncharted territories. She didn't know what to expect, what to do even.  
"I'll go." said Evelynn quietly.  
"If that's what you want." said Akali.  
"I don't know what I want right now Kali." said Evelynn in a tone Akali didn't expect. 

She released Evelynn from her arms gently. The silver crowned girl tightened her silk robe around her waist. She left the room like a puff of smoke. Akali was staring at her almost longingly as she closed the door carefully. As the door sealed shut, Evelynn pressed her back against the hardwood. She wasn't angry. It was different, more like disappointment. She thought maybe she had already lost Akali for good like she had told her. She wondered what she did wrong. Her thoughts racing, she didn't even notice Kai'sa poking her head out around the corner of the corridor.   
Kai'sa turned back to Ahri.   
"I've never seen her like that."  
"Do you think they could be..." asked Ahri whispering.  
"They didn't do it?" continued Kai'sa.  
" _Wait what?_ " said Ahri a bit louder.  
"Evelynn just got out of Akali's room, no allure no nothing. You know how it goes when it happens, you've been around her longer than me."  
"Something's not right." said Ahri pinching her lips. "We're going to have to look out the next few days."  
Kai'sa nodded. 

Akali lied on her back and stared at the ceiling for minutes which felt like hours. The hardest was done. She thought. Just as she had expected, she had to taste the venom to know how to counter it. Just like she thought, Evelynn had no idea that she guessed that a simple promise from her was enough to make the contract void. And now they would be on equal ground. No advantage, no Allure to manipulate her into doing her bidding. Akali let out a loud sigh. Her smell was still in her nostrils. She breathed in. First came ginger, the acidity of bergamot, bitter orange. Then, the aroma of tuberose, or maybe Jasmin. And finally sandalwood, and a touch of vanilla. The way her Allure smelled was as intoxicating as is, but another smell hidden behind this veil, this mask. Smoke, the warmth of fire, like soft embers you keep alive to warm a house.  
Akali drew her in her mind. Let her appear on the ceiling of her room. _Arousal._ Here was a word she didn't expect Evelynn to say to her, but it now echoed in her brain like some enchanted chime.

Evelynn had put on some clothes, and was out on the balcony, her fingers twitching with need. She lit a cigarette. Took a long puff and let the smoke go through her nose. Akali was a riddle. What did she know that made her so in control? How could she know about the voided deal. Maybe she didn't? Maybe it was only luck?  
Evelynn's mouth opened up in a weird smile. She didn't understand what was different about that human. Why she could resist her like she did. But what she knew now, was that it was a challenge. More than a challenge, she was maybe going to win. She surprised herself hoping that maybe Akali would. Just for the thrill of it.   
She breathed in more tobacco and played with the smoke. The nicotine had no effect on her, but she enjoyed the idea it could. That a human had more composure than anybody she had met before, could hold against the venom she oozed. Her heart fluttered. Maybe she would get to discover a feeling she had not tried before.   
She heard long melancholic notes from a piano. Akali was writing again? No, it wasn't how she played. 

"Good afternoon ladies." said a man in a suave tone. He removed his hat from his head.  
"Hey there Tobias, how are you?" asked Ahri with a smile.   
"Not too bad, not too bad." he smiled back.  
"What's bringing you here?" asked Kai'sa. She looked at him warily as he pressed his fingers on the grand piano.  
"You gals don't remember?" he said a bit disappointed. "I'm owed a photoshoot with Evelynn today."

She had completely forgotten about the bet she had had with Twisted Fate. She had lost, and he wanted to take her on a photoshoot. Something about dancing. She despised the man. He was hollow and dulled the senses. But he was completely lost to her. And so, because she was bored at the time, she let him have it.  
But now that she had something far more interesting going, she dreaded the idea of being around him.  
She grabbed her coat and readied herself to leave. He was a needed distraction anyways. She tinted her hair dark magenta again for some reason and let it hang loose. Snapping her round sunglasses to the bridge of her nose, she got out of her room, leaving the door open. She gave a look at Akali's bedroom door and left.

"Ah, Evelynn, my dear." said Twisted Fate with deference.  
"Tobias." she said dryly. "I forgot to mention it was supposed to be today." she said softly to Ahri and Kai'sa. "Tell Kali to come pick me up in two hours or so at the Twisted Hotel & Dance"   
They both nodded as she winked them goodbye. Her Allure already making Twisted Fate a complete puppet.

Akali had fallen asleep while drawing in her mind. She had imagined Evelynn, then imagination doing as imagination does, got lost into the idea of a charcoal dragon with gold eyes.  
She didn't hear the piano. Didn't hear much at all, her brain more tempted by mindless creation than overthinking for once.   
Ahri came in the room to find her lying flat on her back arms open, mouth agape. Her breathing was calm.  
"Hey Kali." said the fox girl softly, shaking her a bit to get her to wake up.  
"Hmm. What time is it?" said the raven haired girl sleepily, opening an eye.  
"About to be six." said Ahri. "Lynn told us to let you know, to go pick her up."  
"Ah _fuck_ I forgot about this." said Akali sitting up.  
"She left with Fate maybe an hour and a half ago. You still got some time."   
"Knowing how boring Fate is, and how she despises the magic tricks he always comes up with?" added the rogue raising her eyebrows. "Nah, I should probably leave soon."  
Ahri laughed.  
"I mean unless we wanna have to deal with _another_ murder." said Akali. "Which would be Fate's magician career."  
She got up and checked her phone. One text from Evelynn. "Come save me from this." Sent ten minutes ago.  
"OMW." she tapped on her screen.  
"All right. Do you guys want me to bring some thing while I'm out to go save the damsel in distress?" asked Akali grabbing both the helmets and putting her leather jacket on.  
"Oh! Grab ice. Kai said something about wanting to try to make homemade ice-cream?"   
"I'm not sure that's how it works but, sure thing."  
"I also need tape. You know the strong grip one." said Ahri pensive.  
"What for?" Akali asked as she put her helmet on and opened the visor.  
"Uh. I _broke_ something?" said Ahri trying to cut the subject short.  
"You know what, I'm not going to question. Ice and duct tape." she laughed. "Evie's going to give me those questions for certain."  
Ahri and Akali both laughed. As Akali exited her room, she noticed Evelynn's door being open. She took a quick glance inside. Saw perfume on Evelynn's bedside table and was tempted. She yielded to temptation and put a drip of perfume on both her wrists, which she took a whiff of.  
Without Evelynn's body to warm up the fragrance, it was a lot more bearable. She then closed the door and said goodbye to Kai'sa who was distracted with some odd machine.   
"Don't stab Fate when you see him." said Kai'sa as Kali closed the door. 

The evening air was warm. She thought about how it would feel outside the city. Wondering if the mountains had snow this time of year. Akali wasn't made for the city. She liked nature and quiet more than the constant purring of engines and people. Even though, she found herself to enjoy bikes and cars more than she thought.  
She hopped on her bike and made the engine roar. Her wrist making the accelerator purr she went in the direction of the Twisted Hotel & Dance.  
She liked biking more than cars. More freedom to look around. The air pushing against her body was soothing. She thought about Evelynn and hoped that Fate would still be in one piece when she would arrive.

"Already leaving?" said Twisted Fate sadly. "I had hoped you could stay for dinner." he added.  
Evelynn looked at her phone "OMW." sent fifteen minutes ago. She would probably be here by now.  
She thought about something stupid. But fun.  
"Fate, my dear, what would you think about one of my _dear_ friend eating with us hm?" said the woman, looking over her sunglasses.  
Without missing a beat, the man's face lit up and he nodded yes.   
"Come upstairs. He wants to have dinner, he said you're invited." she typed quickly on her phone. 

_Jesus Evelynn._ Akali laughed as she locked her bike up on the hotel rack after having read the text. She removed her helmet and gave it to the receptionist as well as the second helmet with the keys. While she wasn't a city girl, Akali knew how to behave in society. She gave the receptionist a bit of cash and asked for where the restaurant room was.  
After someone took her to it, she looked for Evelynn's silvery hair. Instead she noticed the dark magenta she often wore. She took a breath. _Yep, Allure._ She thought.

She had noticed Akali as she entered the room. She had a sigh of relief. Twisted Fate was a boring shallow man, with a distinct love for magic tricks. And while he was good at it, Evelynn thought the human's way of doing sleight of hand was outdated and simply unenjoyable.  
"Good evening Tobias." said Akali from across the table with a nod.  
"Akali." he said. "Are we having you for dinner?" he asked.  
Evelynn smiled at the word choice.  
"I would gladly. But our schedule is packed tomorrow." said Akali with a controlled tone.  
" _Is it really?_ I don't remember that.~" said Evelynn taking a sip from the champagne flute. "Come on Kali, _can we not have a bit of fun?_ " she added clearly wanting to have a tease out of him.  
"I guess we can stay for a bit." said Akali looking intently at Evelynn.   
She sat in the chair in front of her. Twisted Fate also known as Tobias Felix to a select few, seemed to revel quietly in the extra time he had gotten himself with the shapeshifter. Akali thought that this man had really no idea what Evelynn was.   
She felt her phone vibrate. "He has no idea." from Evelynn, less than a second ago.  
She repressed a smile and laid back on the chair. She asked a waiter for a glass of whiskey on the rocks and waited.  
For three minutes she watched Fate attempt to woo Evelynn with stories she clearly didn't care for. But she played with his hand poking at it with her claw ring. His eyes were hazy, clearly taken by the Allure. She didn't even have to particularly push it with him, he was absolutely mesmerized by Lynn's eyes and intoxicated with the fragrance.  
Akali decided to observe and not partake much.   
"And what about that magic trick you did earlier Tobias? _Could you show it again?_ " asked Evelynn giving Akali a discreet poke with her foot.   
"But of course, _anything for you_." he said.  
He proceeded to take out a deck of cards which he asked Akali to shuffle. She did so in a smooth motion, like she knew how to.  
"I didn't know you liked cardistry." said the man slightly surprised.  
"Its fun." she answered absentmindedly.  
"We agree on this." he nodded. "Thank you." he added grabbing the deck back. He spread the cards open in his hand face down. Asked Akali to pick a card, and asked Evelynn to pick one as well.  
"Look at your card both. Don't show it to anyone." he said.   
Akali had the queen of hearts. Evelynn the jack of clubs.   
He did a stupid looking shuffle and asked Evelynn to put her card back in the deck. He shuffled one more time.   
"Could you show us your card?" he asked Akali. "No wait. Its the queen of hearts isn't it?"  
Akali lifted her eyebrows and flipped the card on the table.  
"Yeah."  
"Now what was our _queen of hearts_ ' card?" he added with a flick of the wrist.  
Akali saw him flash. And she couldn't help but repress a smirk. He was terrible. To her standards at least.  
"Jack of clubs." whispered Akali to Evelynn.  
"What did you say?" said Twisted Fate.  
" _Oh nothing_ , please do go on." said Akali leaning towards Evelynn taking a sip of whiskey counting down the seconds with her fingers. Three. Two. One.  
"The jack of spades." he said.  
Evelynn laughed. Akali coughed. Tobias didn't quite understand what had given this reaction.  
"All right Tobias I think that's _enough_ for tonight." said Evelynn snapping her fingers.   
Without waiting Evelynn got up. Akali finished her glass in a gulp and followed. As Evelynn started walking away from the table leaving a very confused Twisted Fate looking at them both, she grabbed Akali by the side and had her put her hand on her hip.  
" _Did you see his face?_ " whispered Evelynn.   
The two girls repressed their laugh softly as they took the elevator down. Once the doors closed both erupted in laughter.   
"Jesus Christ Eve." said Akali wiping away some tears.   
" _Jack of spades_ " she mimicked Twisted Fate's gravely voice.  
"He _flashed_ at me." said Akali showing the jack of clubs up from her pocket. She laughed again.  
"How did you take it from him?" asked Evelynn curious. "Also, _why do I smell my perfume on you?_ "  
Akali blushed slightly but she had expected the question.  
"You left your door open, I stole some." she said steadily.   
" _Thieving are we_?" said Evelynn grabbing her by the arm. Her hand was warm. She took a whiff off of Akali's wrist. Rubbing her face on it almost.  
The elevator seemed extremely slow to the songwriter. The air was heavy of Allure again. _Ding_. In a swift motion Akali slid her hand in Evelynn's and pulled her away with a soft laugh.  
"I will _need that_ thanks." said the songwright freeing her hand. "I'm driving."  
She gave another bill to the receptionist and gave Evelynn her helmet which she instantly put on. A few minutes later Akali was sitting on her bike before even putting her helmet on. She had left it hanging on the side of the grip. She texted Ahri "Be home soon. Eve wanted to mess with him some more. All's cool tho."  
Evelynn sat behind Akali and held herself by grabbing her hips. While all of this was done in a complete non-sexual way, Akali felt warmth in her lower back which she dismissed as she secured the helmet on her head.  
"We will have to make a small detour." said Akali turning the key to light the ignition.  
The bike motor roared. Evelynn took delight in the sound. While she was more a car enthusiast, she definitely knew how to enjoy motorcycles. _That's where the motor oil came from._ She thought to herself, remembering the smell Akali had first given her.  
A few passerbys stared as the two girls drove off on the loud racing bike. Evelynn's hair was like a ribbon of magenta. Akali downed her wrist making the bike go faster. Evelynn's grip had to tighten around Akali's chest.  
This was nice. Thought the raven haired songwright. Evelynn's Allure couldn't hit nearly as strong while the air was flowing so much. _Almost like a normal human interaction._ Thought Akali.  
A few moments later, Akali stopped at a gas station on the side of the highway. She knew the spot to be a quiet place to grab snacks and a few other things.  
Evelynn walked away from the bike for a while to stare at the city lights from the side of the road.  
Akali looked at her from the bike as she took off the helmet. She looked surreal. Like a painting on top of the stars of the city lights. Her left arm hanging with the bike helmet like a dot of black.   
She got off the bike and entered the neon lit store of the gas station. Nobody except her and the shop owner was inside. She nodded hello to him. He nodded back politely, recognizing her from tabloids. That, and the fact she commonly came around to buy candy there. He had the quiet pride. Something that Kali was thankful for.  
She browsed the shelves quickly, knowing exactly what she was looking for. Grabbed a roll of duct tape. Then went towards the freezers aisle where she picked up a small bag of ice cubes.  
She brought the lot to the cashier and asked him to give her a flask of vodka.  
He looked at her a bit confused with the choice of things laid down before him.  
"Please don't question it." she said putting her hand to her forehead. "I have weird roommates."  
He laughed. She smiled, paid and waved him goodbye. He gave the wave back.

"What is all that for?" asked Evelynn giving a curious look in the plastic bag. " _Is this duct tape?_ " she asked with a wicked smile.  
Akali blushed. She thought about her interaction with Ahri earlier. _Yeah, Evelynn was indeed going to ask questions._  
The pink haired songstress didn't seem to notice Akali blushing. Though she seemed to feel the odd mixture of desire and shame from her.  
"Well well." she poked at the ice bag with her claw ring and grabbed an ice cube she put on her lips and started to melt it with her tongue.  
_Of course she was going to do this too._ Akali coughed and felt the same warmth down her back. But this time it was more complex to dismiss. She looked in the distance and blew air out of her mouth to make the feeling go away.  
Evelynn's eyes lit up. She gave a glance at Akali's lips. She had bit them as she rolled her eyes to the sky.  
"Do you want one?" asked Evelynn grabbing another ice cube with her metallic rings waving it in the direction of Akali's face.  
"Nope." Akali answered frantic.  
The songwright grabbed the flask of vodka from the bag and opened the bottle swiftly. She took a gulp of the transparent liquid to give herself some sort of strength.  
Evelynn rose her eyebrows and smiled.  
"If you keep drinking, I am not letting you drive." said the magenta haired woman half judgingly.  
"Actually." she grabbed the ice cube from Evelynn's fingers and gave it a squeeze between her teeth to break it to pieces. The fresh of frozen water was making the vodka a lot more enjoyable.  
Evelynn's eyelashes fluttered and she looked at Akali with a mix of admiration and amusement.  
She was really trying her hardest to control herself to not let go of her desire.  
She giggled nervously.  
"Let's go home." she finally said putting the helmet back on. Akali felt the buzz of alcohol finally hitting.   
Evelynn laughed softly as she put her own helmet back on her head, dropping the visor shut.

After a few more minutes of driving, they had arrived back at the penthouse. Kai'sa still fighting with her weird machine. Ahri scrolling on her phone, tapping at some pictures.  
Akali dropped the bag of ice cubes on the counter. And threw the roll of duct tape at Ahri who caught it surprised.  
" _Wait, it was you who needed the duct tape?_ " asked Evelynn her eyes closing judgingly. "What did you break?" she pressed on walking towards the fox tailed girl. Leaving the helmet on the grand piano.  
Ahri hopped away from her phone and looked like a kid who had done something wrong.  
"Ahri, what did you break?" asked Evelynn, her eyes now stabbed in the kitsune's.   
Kai'sa laughed quietly.   
"Uh. _Nothing I swear._ " said Ahri avoiding the searing gaze. She trotted away with the roll of tape almost running up the stairs to the bedroom floor.  
Evelynn followed like an angry sibling.   
"Ahri you better tell me what you broke." said Evelynn loudly from upstairs.  
Kai'sa and Akali looked at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.   
Both the raven haired girls were at the kitchen island one dropping ice cubes in a rumbling machine with cream and fresh fruit. The other took a shaker to make a cocktail. Kai'sa noticed the small bottle of vodka had been opened. She took a quick glance at Akali which didn't show any drunkenness but worried at the reason she drank. She didn't have to ask, she knew Evelynn was somebody not to be trifled with. But Akali had a temper of her own, and the storm in her mind was what Kai'sa now most worried about.  
Kai'sa felt like an odd pride, like a parent, at the idea that Akali could take on Evelynn. Though in the same manner she also was worried about the pain it could inflict her.  
" _AHRI OPEN THIS DOOR BEFORE I BREAK IT DOWN-_ " yelled Evelynn bothered but not yet mad.  
A few seconds of quiet.  
Then a muffled Ahri yelp and a loud creaking noise.   
Akali rose both her eyebrows and smiled with a quiet laugh. Kai'sa giggled and sighed in disbelief. 


	2. Called My Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be a lot shorter than the first one! (im sorry!) I had it going for a while already but finalized it yesterday. Hope you enjoy!

The evening was going to be animated. But Akali's mind was far already. She had decided to shut off like she often did. Needing her mind to wander, letting the creative flow embrace her like a wave. She made Evelynn her favorite cocktail, a vodka gimlet, and took away the rest of the flask with her in her room. The glass was resting with poise on the top of the grand piano next to the helmet Evelynn had left there earlier. She locked herself in and opened the window to breathe the fresh night air. She didn't pay attention to the knock on her door when Ahri wanted to come in to give her a goodnight hug. She also didn't pay attention to the note Kai'sa slid under her door.   
She had put her earplugs in her ears and listened to lo-fi tracks to relax as she let her pencil run along the paper. The soft beats rhythming the pace at which her drawing appeared. She looked at the flask of vodka for a moment and breathed. Nope, it wouldn't be for tonight.   
  
An hour or more later, around midnight, she heard the loud knock on her door.  
"Yeah?" she asked softly from her desk.  
"Care to let me in?" asked Evelynn in her velvety tone.  
Without removing completely the wireless earplugs from her ears she got up and unlocked the door. Evelynn was in her sleeping gown with her silk robe. Anyone would sigh of delight to the sight, but Akali smiled softly. She picked up Kai'sa's note. It read in capital letters : "Ahri broke Eve's window after the whole door incident. She wants to stay in your room. Night night."  
  
She looked up at an obviously tired Evelynn. She then flipped the note her way with a question mark in her eyes.  
Evelynn read through it and nodded yes. Akali shrugged and smiled pointing to her bed with her chin.  
"Make yourself at home. I'll be doing some stuff before I go sleep myself." said Akali in an extremely relaxed tone.  
"Are you coming up with a design?" asked Evelynn, catching a glance at the vodka flask which was resting on the side of the desk.   
The simplicity of what she was wearing to bed was disconcerting. It was nothing like what she usually wore outside, and gave her Allure a different feeling. Almost like a fur coat.   
"Nah, I'm just taking my mind off of things tonight." said Akali still scratching the paper with her pencil.  
Evelynn looked at Akali from the bed. She liked those evenings or those nights they would spend sometimes. Akali drawing or coming up with graffiti design. Evelynn looking from afar, busying herself answering emails or reading, asking mindlessly a question about life from time to time, what she liked, what she thought about. Evelynn had noticed that her Allure seemed to never quite work when Akali had these moments of relaxation, or maybe it was because she let herself be as vulnerable as anyone else, maybe because she felt safe.   
"If you want I can turn the light dimmer and put the music on speakers." said Akali turning back to look at Evelynn somewhat distantly.  
"Up to you Kali. Up to you." she answered. "Thanks for the drink earlier by the way."  
"I know you like it." said Akali turning back dimming the lights and putting the lo-fi soundtrack softly on the speakers.  
The desk lamp light was very bright compared to anywhere else in the room. Evelynn assumed it was in order to detail the drawings better.  
"Oh that's new, did Seraphine make you discover those?" asked Evelynn listening attentively to the songs playing.   
"Yeah. They're pretty nice to zone out to." answered Akali.  
She kept drawing for one more hour in the soft silence of the lo-fi beats. She yawned and stretched. She got up to grab a bottle of water before going to bed. She didn't pay attention to whether or not Evelynn was asleep. She didn't notice she was staring at her almost longingly. Even though, it was common for Evelynn to be longing for things.   
Evelynn's mind was at peace somehow. But one thing had changed in her interactions with the songwright. She wanted more than empty lust or desire. She wanted to _know_ Akali. She wanted to understand the ripples of her mind, why and how she knew how to do the things she did. How she could steal cards from a magician. Where she had learned to prepare cocktails. Why she could resist her like she did. She was filled with a newfound curiosity she didn't think she could have. Something new had blossomed into her. Something she couldn't quite explain nor understand. But besides the confusion which filled her, she still pushed forward, no matter what. Nobody would be able to stop her to stay at the top of her game. Her newfound goal, was to _understand_ Akali.

Akali had come back sipping at the bottle of water. She took off her jacket and pants to be only wearing boxer briefs and one of her many loose hanging shirts. She turned the light off and slid under the blanket of her bed turning the bedside light on. She left the music running softly, her phone was away on the desk, and she was too lazy to get it to remote control the speakers.  
Evelynn was reading something which Akali thought to be a tabloid article. The two girls looked at each other for a second. The slow beats of the music making them drowsy and a bit like they were high. Evelynn leaned in and pressed her lips on Akali's cheek.  
"Goodnight tiger." she said with a soft smile.  
"You too." whispered Akali as she turned her back to Evelynn. A sleepy smile curling up on her lips from the nickname she just had been given.   
She turned her light off and dozed off more quickly than she had expected.  
Evelynn stared at her for a good five minutes. She then got up and closed the window, turned the music off, and sat back in the bed. She noticed Akali had let down her hair, and put that rebellious strand of her hair away from her eyes to see her face a little bit better.  
Akali scrunched her nose and sniffled while asleep which made Evelynn smile. She turned away and switched the light off.  
Her eyes closing, she felt herself falling in a world of smoke and shadows. Nothing bright except her own eyes. Nothing to see. She closed her eyes again. On the ground was lying a woman, bare of clothes, in fetal position. Her back was scarred. Where her heart would be, a black stain instead. She closed her eyes once more. Looked up. The woman had disappeared. Instead like a morning ray of sun. A drop of light in the distance. The light felt appeasing. A soft humming sound, like the purr of a cat. Relaxing.

"Eve, are you all right?" asked Akali poking her gently.  
Evelynn let out a low raspy growl in response.  
"I heard you say something. I thought you were talking to me but..." said Akali her eyes still half shut.  
"Shh. Don't." said Evelynn in a mumbly growl, grabbing Akali by the shoulder, pulling her forwards. Her eyes were still softly closed.   
Akali scooched back to avoid being so close to Evelynn's face but she had now grabbed her hips to pull her closer. She felt a bit uneasy but swallowed it away.  
"Do you want... me to... hold you?" asked Akali half asleep but convinced that Evelynn was still sleeping.  
Another long growl that sounded like a yes.  
Akali sat up a bit, lifted an arm and made the sleepy demon lay down on her chest. The songwright let her head fall backwards on the pillow and started to snore softly.   
Evelynn's hand ran under Akali's shirt. Akali shivered and gave a louder snore. 

They woke up around noon. The light of the sun heating the glass window panes. Akali still holding Evelynn on her chest her head tilted backwards mouth open. Evelynn was the first one to open her eyes. She found herself confused at how she was being held by the songwright, and what had led to such a display of affection. She didn't remember her dream nor the night.   
"You talk in your sleep." said Akali softly with a yawn.  
Evelynn pushed away, surprised by the sudden understanding that she might have gotten over Akali's boundaries. Her hand was still under her shirt.  
Akali chuckled sleepily. "Don't overthink it." she said, almost talking to herself as well.   
Evelynn sat up on the side of the bed. She refused to look at Akali, almost ashamed at herself for not respecting her.  
"I didn't mind it." said Akali plainly, answering the question that Evelynn had silently asked herself.  
Evelynn still partially taken by sleep, she turned to Akali to catch her gaze. She then listened to catch her heartbeat. Slow, steady pace. The demon felt herself relax at it.  
Akali stretched, made her knuckles crack, let out a heavy sigh and got up in one quick jump.   
She tied her hair in the usual scruffy ponytail she always wore. Clearing her face from some strands of hair.  
Evelynn looked at her blankly from the side of the bed. Akali was unfazed by her. It was the first night the two had spent together, even if technically it wasn't the way Evelynn had imagined it. And while it was the case, a night with her usually meant morning was a lot more _difficult_. Her Allure at night took a different weight, usually making people _worship her_ by the morning light.  
Akali had left her room stretching her legs on the way, yawning two or three more times. She sniffed at the smell of food from the kitchen. She smelled spice. Her mouth started to water.

"Did you make all that by yourself?" asked Kai'sa staring at the table covered with various bowls and plates of food.  
"Mhm!" said Ahri pleased with the question. "Good morning sleepy-head!" she added joyously at the sight of Akali.  
"How was _your night_?" asked Kai'sa raising her eyebrows, well aware that Evelynn and her had just slept in the same bed.  
"Evie talks in her sleep." said Akali passing her right hand on her eyes.  
Kai'sa's mouth perked up in a smile. Curiosity was palpable. Ahri's mouth drawing a perfect "O".   
"Did you two..." asked Ahri.  
Akali interrupted her with a nod which clearly said no.  
"Oh, wow." said the fox girl. " _That's new._ "  
Akali furrowed her brows, slightly confused but didn't push her question. She grabbed a bowl and filled it with kimchi that Ahri had made. Topped it with a fried egg, and poured herself a cup of coffee to which she added a sugar cube.  
  
" _Damn._ " she said under her breath as she chewed on the spicy mix. "Ahri, your Kimchi is _fucking delicious_." said the scruffy looking ninja taking another bite.  
"Thank you Kali. You should try that too!" said Ahri pushing a bowl of what seemed to be a mix of fresh fruit.   
She grabbed a piece of mango with her chopsticks. She hummed in delight and gave Ahri a thumbs up and a long approving nod.  
"You two, are absolutely, the best cooks I've ever met." she said swallowing her food and taking an eager sip of coffee.  
Kai'sa bit in a crunchy fried chicken bit. And lifted her head up with a slow sigh to relax her shoulders.  
Ahri reveled in how enthusiastically Akali was eating.  
"So, where's Eve?" asked Ahri "I made her favorite." she added pointing at the coffee.  
"Do I smell Italian roast?~" said the demon in a gentle purr.  
Ahri hopped over, dropping a kiss on Evelynn's cheek.  
" _I'm sorry I broke your window._ " said the fox girl softly.  
"And **I** am sorry I broke your door." said Evelynn just as softly, running her fingers along Ahri's jaw.  
Ahri smiled genuinely. And poured a generous cup of the fancy coffee to Evelynn when she got back to the table.  
Akali gave her a discreet glance. She didn't feel her Allure, which felt somewhat odd. Evelynn avoided Akali's gaze.  
"Kali told us you speak in your sleep?" asked Kai'sa knowing perfectly what effect it would have.  
Akali strangled herself with kimchi, and Evelynn's gaze now like daggers at Akali.   
"And what exactly did I say in my sleep hm?" inquisitively asked Evelynn walking towards the rapper her cup of coffee in hand. The question was filled with curiosity, but also with an eerie feeling.  
Akali felt her cheeks redden. She coughed a little bit and turned back to her food to avoid Evelynn's gaze.  
"I'm not sure-" started the songwright.  
"No, _no_ , please do tell~" interrupted the diva with something of a tone that Akali assimilated to murderous intent.  
"I'm not sure it's something you would be comfortable with." said Akali with confidence.

The statement made Evelynn chuckle. She then took a generous sip of the Italian brew.   
"I hold no secrets for you three." she said simply. It was a lie, but in that instant, she didn't want to indulge in yet another. Even though, when she thought about it she wouldn't _technically_ be lying, it was more akin to _an omission of truth_.   
She gave a long stare at Akali which the songwright assumed it meant she was fine with exposing her night-time ramblings. However Akali held back slightly.

"You said something about, _refusing to be in pain_." said Akali softly. She expected Evelynn to react, but she did none of that. She was surprisingly blank.  
"Now why would I feel uncomfortable with this?" asked the soft skinned demon to the raven haired human in front of her. "I inflict the pain, I would rather not receive it.~" she said teasingly.  
Akali wanted to add that she also had caught her call her name. And she had asked her asleep, to not let her be in the dark. Whatever that meant. But she preferred keeping quiet. For now at least.  
"Was that all that I said?~" asked Evelynn in that joking manner she always put up to avoid difficult subjects.  
"It was." lied Akali.  
Her heartbeat jumped. Evelynn's stare ever so slightly twitched as she caught the variation. She understood something was amiss. She wanted to tell Akali _Don't you dare lie to me._ but for once, she thought that maybe it would be best to keep it quiet and wait until they both could have some room to speak.  
Evelynn laughed and went to sit down on the nearby chair with her cup of coffee still steaming. She took an intense whiff at it, enjoying the subtle notes of flavor in it.   
"Ahri you really know me _best_ sweetheart." she said at the fox girl who's ears shook at the compliment. Akali's heart jumped again at that phrase. _Jealousy._ Thought Evelynn who had noticed it.  
A smirk formed on the songstress' lips. Akali huffed in disdain and got up.  
"I'll be down at the sports room today, I need to _punch_ something." said Akali in the most neutral way she could muster. Yet she gave Evelynn a look that said it all.

* * *

Her fists clenched in the white wrap. The cloth tightened around her joints. A swift hit in the dummy's stomach. One, two. A flat hit on the side. Her body rotated smoothly. Her heel reached up high. And connected with the dummy's head.   
Sweat ran along her back muscles. Her black hair tied up in a tight ponytail, a bandana keeping that rebellious lock of hair she had from getting in her eyes. She repeated the motion, one, two, three times. At the fourth, she noticed Evelynn from the corner of her eye.  
"It's rude to stare." said the fighter with a heavy tone, huffing and puffing, continuing to repeat the same motion over and over.  
Evelynn didn't say anything. Instead, she sat down and waited. It went on for twenty minutes. Each time the heel kick louder than the previous. Until finally, Akali gave a flat palm punch in the dummy's stomach, sending it fly a meter away.  
She let out an exhausted breath and passed one of her wristbands on her forehead, removing the dew which had formed.  
Evelynn watched, impassive.  
Akali was wearing a black sports bra and loose boxing shorts. Her muscles showing from the recent activity. She looked a bit feral, but with poise. Like the way a cheetah rolled its shoulders when it walked. There was something animalistic about her in that moment.  
" _I said, its rude to stare._ " she said stretching her left arm.  
Silence. Evelynn's gaze lingered.  
Akali walked towards her to grab her bottle of water. She lifted it above her head letting some drops rolling along her chin. She would have to take a shower after all.  
"I am not known to be very polite, darling." Evelynn finally said, still looking intently, now at Akali's neck.  
Akali couldn't really tell if the warmth at her cheeks came from physical exhaustion or if she was blushing. She decided she didn't care.  
"What are you doing here?" asked the songwright, wiping her face with her fresh towel. "You're not one to do _that kind_ of work out." she pointed with her chin at the sad looking dummy a few meters away.  
"You have been down here for four hours. I'm merely just checking on you." said the shapeshifting songstress from behind her glasses. Her rings clicking as she stretched her fingers.  
Akali put the towel on her shoulders.  
"Well _thank you_." she said a bit too sarcastically to her own taste.   
"Why did you lie earlier?" asked Evelynn without missing a beat.  
"Why did you say the things you said to Ahri?" snapped Akali back.  
"Jealous are we?~" teased Evelynn.  
"Wha-? No. No, no, no." she waved a hand dismissively to convince herself.  
"So tell me then, if it wasn't jealousy, what was it?"  
"I don't know? _Maybe I just care for you_ and your first reaction to me trying to protect you from unnecessary pain is a phrase full of tease?" hissed Akali angrily.  
Evelynn's Allure was starting to pour out as before. But Akali didn't feel its pull nearly as strong.  
"How sweet. You were trying to _protect me_." declared Eve with disdain.  
"Yeah. That's what-" Akali stopped herself and sniffled in anger. "You know what. _Fuck you Eve._ " she whipped her head back with a growl.  
"Oh, wouldn't you want to." said Evelynn sharply, her eyes now looking so intensely at Akali anyone else would have averted their gaze.   
" _Don't you start with that game._ "

Akali filled with what she believed was anger, had put her hand, knuckle first, above Evelynn's head. She was looking down at the songstress. Evelynn unfazed. Akali felt that same warmth in her lower back she had felt the day before. A subtle mix of frustration, anger and desire held like a knot in her throat.  
"You _called my name_ Eve." finally spat Akali catching her breath. The sweat on her arms still pearling.  
"You called my name, and then you begged me to not _let you be in endless dark_."  
She walked away swiftly. Grabbed the dummy to put it back up. And started punching again.  
Evelynn sat there, unable to understand what it meant. What she felt. The regular thumping noise of Akali punching the dummy rhythming her thoughts.  
Of all the things, she didn't expect Akali to have had suddenly a direct door to her insecurities. Control. She needed control back.   
Evelynn removed her jacket. She wasn't wearing sportswear but she wanted to make the lingering feeling of unease go away.   
She stretched her fingers like a cat unsheathes its claws. Removed her glasses. Gave a look at Akali who side eyed her, a bit confused. Then she understood, and readied herself.

Evelynn launched at her in one smooth motion. Her claws out, she tried reaching for a scratch on her bandmate's nude shoulder.  
"Eve what are you doing." asked Akali, taken aback.  
She didn't answer and kept the attempted blows going. Akali dodged twice. The third time however, Evelynn hit, her nail like a needle, pricked at the skin of the raven crested girl. One single drop of blood started forming.  
"Ow, what the-" another attempted hit, Akali crouched.  
The demon like entranced, glared at her with her golden dagger-like eyes. They were glowing differently than usual. Feral.  
Akali realized that she would need to fight back. At least a bit, in order for Eve to regain some sort of consciousness. She felt anger dissipate. Instead a mix of fear and worry. But not for herself.  
In a loud hiss, Evelynn launched at her, her mouth open like a cobra trying to launch at its prey. Her jaw snapped, missing the neck of Akali by a few centimeters.  
Akali thought that her fangs seemed longer than usual. She put her hand to her back, where she had hidden one of those small karambit knives in an inner fold of the white fighting wrap.  
She held on to it. Waited for Evelynn to dash forward again. And when she did. She intercepted her arm before it could reach her. Her skin almost sizzling, but this time Akali didn't let go. In a tumble, she swiped at her legs, made her trip on the soft ground and the ninja found herself on top of her demonic bandmate. Her knife at the chin, poking dangerously close to draw blood.  
"Evelynn snap out of it, what's wrong with you?" asked Akali who thought she had the advantage.  
In a push, Evelynn let the knife incise at her skin slightly, she knew Akali wouldn't push back, she wouldn't want to hurt her. And the demoness flipped their positions. A lasher had flicked the knife away. The metallic ring on the ground made Akali shudder.  
" _Nothing. You hear me? Nothing, is wrong with me._ " she then dove into the neck of the girl facing her, teeth first. She needed a bite.   
Akali stiffened at the touch of Evelynn's lips. Melted after her tongue pressed on her nerve. And then squirmed in pain when the teeth sunk into her skin.

Akali felt oddly numb. Like she suddenly had the weight of all the pain in the world on her shoulders. She breathed out a refrained cry, which almost sounded like a croak. She then grabbed Evelynn by the shoulders and pushed her away enough so she could put her knee under her ribcage.  
A forceful push from her leg. And both the girls were away from each other again. Sitting weirdly on the cold sports mattresses. Their breaths ragged, as if they just exited a trance.  
"You feeling any better now?" asked Akali her hand clammed to her neck.  
"Lots." said Evelynn. She licked her lips.  
Akali felt herself blush.  
"I'm sorry you're feeling all that Lynn." said the songwright with a sad look. She winced and looked at her hand. No blood surprisingly.  
"Don't be. I bet you have your part of darkness too, don't you." sighed Evelynn.  
Akali laughed.  
"Hah. Yeah. _You have no idea_."   
"I'm surprised I never saw your tattoo before, darling." said Evelynn pointing with her nose at her right shoulder, wiping her mouth with the side of her hand.  
"My _tattoo_?" Akali's heart staggered.  
"Oh?"  
" _It's not supposed to be showing._ " said Akali under her breath.  
"Is that a good or a bad thing?"  
"I'm not sure."

Both the girls got up, Akali first. She gave her hand to Evelynn which grabbed it. The songwright pulled her forward to help her up.  
"I apologize about all of this." said Evelynn genuinely. "Sometimes my brain prefers solely acting on instinct, rather than have a normal discussion."  
Akali huffed.  
"Plus, it seems my Allure does absolutely _nothing_ to you anymore for some reason." she said simply.  
"I noticed." scoffed Akali.  
They exchanged a long meaningful look. They seemed to agree quietly that they were on equal footing. Evelynn's eyes flicked at Akali's neck.  
"Surprising."  
"Hm?"  
"I could have swore I pierced your skin." said Eve absentmindedly, putting her jacket back on.  
Akali's heart suddenly louder, her cheeks reddened. Evelynn preferred smirking to herself. Akali removed her bandanna. The rebellious strand of hair perking back in front of her face. She then untied her hair.  
"I'll have to take a shower." she said more in a fact stating manner than anything.  
" _And?_ Would you like me to join you?" teased the songstress.  
Akali opened her mouth to answer but the only sound she emitted was a low raspy _uhhhhhhhhhhhhh._  
Evelynn let a hearty laugh out.  
"You should see your face." she chuckled some more. "I'll meet you back upstairs for dinner. Kai'sa said she would be making Japanese tonight."  
" _Oh my god-_ " said Akali excitedly under her breath "Kai is really a _fucking wonder._ "  
"Language." said Evelynn with a wink. She then walked out of the room leaving Akali to her thoughts.

As the ribbon of magenta of Evelynn's hair disappeared, Akali sighed loudly. She rubbed her neck, her hand lingering on where Eve had bit. She headed towards the shower room where she had left her clothes and checked her phone.  
A text from Ekko saying : "Your bars are straight fire girl, can't wait to collab again. Miss your face." she smiled. Ekko was a nice guy. She thought about how fun it had been to hang out with Senna and him.   
Another text, from Ahri : "How do you beat Kai at video games, she needs to learn her lesson." She chuckled at the image.  
A bunch of notifications from social media, nothing out of the ordinary. She then looked at her photo gallery and scrolled at one of the first pictures.  
It was the picture of her tattoo. A dragon with black and gold lines and a greyish body. Like a ripple of ink in water, the cloud design surrounding it gave the serpent an almost lively look.  
She undressed and looked at her back from the top down mirror. The gold ink was making her skin look like metal. She hadn't seen the tattoo in years. She had gotten it in order to canalize her pain, but the fact was that she knew very well why it had reappeared. It was a ward against evil.  
Her martial training had been supervised by the dojo master Shen at the time. And as an attempt to help her avoid the pain in her heart, he had given her the opportunity to get a tattoo, with... special capacities. She had guessed that it would show up when she first met Evelynn, and learned of her nature. But it hadn't. Until now.  
She stepped into the shower and let the hot water take away her thoughts. She rubbed her neck, finding herself wanting Evelynn's bite again. _Kali, stop._ She thought to herself shaking her head slightly.  
She got out of the shower feeling refreshed. She looked at the tattoo again. _Maybe, it's not a bad sign?_ She thought without believing herself. She closed her eyes and sighed, attempting to relax a bit before putting her clothing back on. To no avail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> all right all right, hope that was to your liking. I'm already working at the third chapter and have finally figured out which way i wanna go and explore.  
> im more than aware that all of what i came up with so far is probably NOT in the league lore canon but i honestly want to give a go at my own understanding of characters.  
> apologies if thats not what you're looking for!  
> see you soon for the next chapter!


	3. Two Dares and a Truth

"Kai you marvelous bastard, thank you so much for this!" said Akali giving her friend a hug.  
"You haven't even touched the food yet Kali relax." said Kai'sa somewhat surprised with the hug.  
"I know your sashimi is amazing." declared Evelynn.  
"Isn't it?!" added Akali excitedly. "What did you make this time?"  
The dancer had a small chuckle. Akali's excitement for food was always funny to her.  
"We're having-" she gave a small cup to all three of her friends reserving herself one on the side. "Miso soup for starters." She turned away to grab two bigger bowls.   
"POKE? YOU MADE POKE?"  
Akali was practically jumping in her seat.  
"Jesus _chill out_." said Ahri with a laugh   
"I could kiss you on the lips right now Kai." said the songwright already digging in the meal without waiting for anyone.  
"Weird but okay?" said Kai'sa as she gave the last bowl to Ahri and sat herself at the table.  
Ahri blew raspberries in laughter. Evelynn chuckling quietly to herself.  
"Mgh- did you get the good stuff too?" asked Akali her mouth full of rice and fish.  
"Its heating up."  
Akali hummed loudly and nodded eagerly. Kai'sa gave her a confused chuckle and a flicked her head with her hand.  
Kali looked at her with a look screaming "WTF?" which made all three of the other girls laugh in unison.  
"Why are you all bullying _me_?" said Akali feigning sadness. 

  
A few minutes later, Kai'sa brought the rock sake bottles at the table. Akali grabbed her own cup and filled it up with the hot beverage, rocking her head backwards she downed it in one go.  
Kai'sa watched somewhat worried but also still smiling. Ahri mimicking Akali, scrunched her nose at the strength of the drink. Evelynn and Kai'sa only sipped some from their own cups, recognizing the other as being slightly more dignified than the two other girls.  
The evening went on smoothly, Ahri surprisingly drinking more than usual, to the point where Akali was following up in order to not let her be drunk on her own. Kai'sa got tipsy but refused to go any further. And Evelynn... well, couldn't get drunk. Her sobriety was sometimes something she wished was gone. She was secretly very curious about how it felt, to be drunk.  
"Kaliiii how do you beat Kai at video games, you never answered meeee!" said Ahri from the couch, clearly drunk.  
Akali came to sit next to the fox eared girl and started to explain in detail how to win at racing games. Ahri listening intently. If she had a notepad, she would have written things down.  
"So you can't get drunk huh?" asked Kai'sa to Evelynn as the other two were going down a heated discussion about abusing video game mechanics.  
"No, not really." said the songstress looking curiously at Akali and Ahri.  
"Is there, _anything_ you can take that would, create some sort of inebriation?" asked the void chosen curiously.  
"Now that you're talking about it, I think there might be one thing." said Evelynn with a smirk.  
"What is it?"  
"I think, that could be pain?" she answered unsure.  
"Like, that you give, or that you receive?" asked Kai'sa inquisitively. She caught herself being overly curious and added "If you're fine saying of course."  
"I am not certain actually." said the songstress pushing her glasses back up and tilting her backwards thoughtfully.  
"I would pay to see you drunk." said Ahri from the couch, catching the conversation. Evelynn side-eyed the kitsune from her seat.  
"Woah. Can you imagine?" said Akali poking Ahri on the side. " _I'm not drunk, darling._ " she continued, imitating Evelynn's tone.  
Eve now had sat upright, and glared at Akali from over her glasses.  
"Wow, relax, I'm merely just trying to _imagine_ how that would be." said Akali defensively waving her hands.  
" _Now now, that's not very polite is it?_ " said Ahri in turn, mimicking Evelynn.  
Kai'sa laughed under her breath.  
"Pfft, she's worse than _not polite_ , she fucking _bit_ me today." said Akali without thinking.  
"What, where?" asked Ahri too drunk to understand what it really meant. Kai'sa on the other end was sober enough to see Evelynn starting to boil. Akali was just recklessly talking.  
"Like right here." said the songwright pointing at her neck.  
"But there's no mark?"  
"Right?"  
"I don't understand." said Ahri "Did you bite her?" she then asked Eve.  
"Maybe." said the demoness sharply, while still refusing to give any details.  
"Oh you _fucking_ did. And besides the feeling of dread, it was _a trip_." said Akali, once again without thinking staring at Evelynn.  
Evelynn cocked her head to the side lifting her eyebrows and pulling her glasses away from the bridge of her nose. _This is getting interesting._  
"Kali you talk too much when you're drunk." said Kai'sa.  
"And _you_ are too quiet." she snapped right back.  
"Alright, do you want to do a stupid thing then?" said Ahri thinking about an activity to push the other two to participate. "How abouuuut."  
"I know! I know, how about truth or dare?" said Akali to Ahri excitedly.  
"Oh no-" whispered the dancer under her breath.  
Evelynn was now all teeth out, chuckling as the discussion continued. _This was getting interesting indeed._

* * *

They were all sitting on the couch now. Kai'sa had insisted she needed to clean up before doing anything, hoping the two drunk girls would forget about the idea of playing truth or dare. But that was without counting on the fact that Ahri and Akali were a lot more resilient than Kai'sa had expected.   
"Truth or dare?" said Akali to Kai'sa with a smug as she sipped slowly on her glass of rum and coke.   
"Oh my god Kali you can't be serious..." answered the dancer, her face getting red.  
"Oh but I am Kai. Now answer the question." quickly snapped Akali with the look of someone who's sole goal was to mess with her friend.  
"Truth." finally said the raven haired girl.  
"Hmmm. Did you ever get black-out drunk?"  
"Yes."  
"Details?"  
Kai'sa nodded no.  
"Oh come on Kai." said Akali annoyed with the negative answer.  
"My turn. Truth or dare?" she snapped back at her friend.  
"Dare." said Akali.  
"Shirt off." said Evelynn without missing a beat.  
Ahri and Kai'sa turned to the woman rising their eyebrows. But Akali didn't wait, she had already taken off her shirt.  
"Ooooh." said Ahri.   
"Kali your tattoo is back." said Kai'sa now with concern.  
"I know." she downed her drink. "I'm not willing to think about it right now." she said to Kai'sa dryly.  
"My turn, my turn." said Ahri. "Truth or dare?" she asked Evelynn.  
"Truth."  
"Do you _like_ Kali?" said Ahri right away, almost too fast.   
Kai'sa coughed on her sake and Akali only just stared at Evelynn now.  
"Who wouldn't?~"  
Akali chuckled proudly her cheeks going redder by the second.  
"Truth or dare?" asked the songstress to her drunk counterpart.  
"Dare!" said Ahri excitedly.  
"I need more alcohol..." said Kai'sa under her breath.  
Evelynn tutted her to sit back down.  
"Kiss Kai'sa.~" ordered Evelynn playfully.  
"Where?" asked Ahri with a giggle.  
"Wherever you wish.~"  
Kai'sa's face was now scarlet, but she didn't refuse out of pure spite. Ahri leaned forward towards Kai'sa and dropped a soft heartfelt yet drunken kiss on Kai'sa's cheek, very close to the corner of her mouth.  
Akali wolf whistled at the sight with her eyebrows perked up. To which Kai'sa stabbed her elbow in Akali's side.  
Ahri left Kai'sa's cheek with a wink then sat back down excitedly.  
"This is so fun!~" said the fox eared girl.  
Kai'sa got up awkwardly to get herself a shot glass of whiskey. Ahri, Eve and Akali laughed a bit. Kai'sa downed the shot and got herself another. The three other girls were now laughing completely.  
"Wow Kai, relax on this." said the songwright.  
She rose her index at Akali to shush her. "You, shut up."  
"All right _chief_." she let out a giggle.  
"Truth or dare?" asked Evelynn softly to Akali, her eyes stabbed so distinctively in hers.   
"Dare." answered Kali heavily, holding the demon's gaze.  
Evelynn's Allure was oozing, but because of the alcohol, none of the girls really noticed. Kai'sa did notice however, that Eve had that eerie look, just like when she's out for blood.  
"Bite me." said Evelynn simply. "Then we'll be even." she added.  
Akali laughed. After a second of silence, she realized Evelynn was serious.  
" _Oh_ I see." said Akali. 

In a swift but drunken move, Akali leaned to reach Evelynn's neck and bit her. Ahri swallowed her saliva difficultly. Kai'sa tried to clear her throat.  
At the pressure of Kali's teeth, Evelynn held herself quiet and focused on the pain she would receive. Kali didn't bite in a sensual way. She bit in an almost like an animal would have. Just like Evelynn had done earlier today.  
To her dismay, Evelynn couldn't hold her sigh. _At least I didn't moan._ she thought to herself. She thought too quick. Akali had forced her teeth further.  
But the pain it brought, as well as the moan, made the demon's brain feel something new. She felt warm, the world was a bit spinning. It was _like she was drunk_.  
"Uh, if you want we can leave you two alone..." said Kai'sa feeling like she was interrupting something.  
"Nope, we good. I just had a revenge to take." said Akali her cheeks crimson, her eyes hazy and her tattoo... glowing?  
Ahri was staring at Akali's back intently watching the dragon. Evelynn's Allure as well as the alcohol animating it.  
Evelynn started giggling. She never giggled like that. Kai'sa and Akali looked at her.  
"Seems like it's when it's on the _receiving_ end." said the demoness in a velvet laugh. Her cheekbones were pink, and her gold eyes seemed distant.  
"Did that just _make you drunk?_ " said Kai'sa opening her mouth in shock.  
"I would say that's probably the closest to drunk I have been, yes." she giggled again.  
Akali laughed, so did Kai'sa and Ahri stood fascinated by Akali's tattoo, the gold ink glowing magically.  
The laughter contagious, Ahri eventually joined them without really understanding why they were laughing so much.  
The four girls got lost in a fit of laughter for a good ten minutes. Until Ahri had to excuse herself to go to the bathroom. Akali wiped a few tears, as did Kai'sa.

Akali and Kai'sa started discussing how they were thinking about taking a sort of holiday break away from society for a while. Evelynn meanwhile, was enjoying the newfound drunkenness feeling.  
"If we were to go on a mountain trip, I think we should invite a few other folks. Just for the sake of making it a party." said Akali.  
"Did you have anyone in mind?" said Kai'sa sipping on a bottle of water, trying to sober up.  
"Actually yeah, I had a text from Ekko earlier. Senna and him are real cool." she stole Kai'sa's water bottle and took a long sip.  
"You could ask Lucian to join too then, oh and maybe Lux." said Evelynn joining in on the conversation.  
"I thought Lux was super busy as of late?" said the songwright.  
"Sivir could also do." said Eve sipping at her glass.  
"Sivir?" said Kai'sa, not recognizing the name.  
"Oh you'll like her.~" said Evelynn with a wink.  
Kai'sa blushed but didn't push her luck.  
"I'll try and call them all tomorrow, make arrangements and all." said Akali suddenly taken by a second wind.  
"Oooh, Kali's a business woman now." said Ahri, back from the bathroom.  
She threw herself in the couch carelessly.  
"You guys want to watch something?" asked Akali seeing that the atmosphere was turning into a more relaxed, _end of night_ , feel.  
"Sure." said Kai'sa with a yawn.  
Akali turned the TV on and put a random documentary about birds as a distraction.  
The quartet chatted mindlessly as sleep started to make its way in their bodies. After hearing Ahri softly snoring, Kai'sa decided to pick her up and take her to bed. Akali and Evelynn gave themselves a conniving look as they watched Kai'sa trying her best to not hit Ahri's head on the wall while getting up the stairs.  
"Kali?" asked Evelynn softly while Kai'sa was away.  
"Mh?"  
"Truth or dare?"  
"Truth." she said.  
"Are you willing to have breakfast out with me tomorrow so we can talk about today?" asked Evelynn after a few seconds of silence. She sounded almost apprehensive.  
"I would love to, Eve." said Akali warmly, pressing a gentle kiss on her cheek to reassure her without thinking about what the act meant.

They locked eyes. Like the world had disappeared. Only a wave of warm down their backs. Evelynn sighed, so did Akali.  
The songwriter's stomach felt tight. Her mouth dry. She bit the inside of her bottom lip. _Kali, this isn't a good idea, you're still drunk._ she thought to herself, as the idea of wanting Eve filled her.  
_Desire. I can smell your desire Kali._ thought the songstress so loud that Akali must've heard.   
"Good night." said Akali suddenly getting up and giving Evelynn an awkward bow. "See you tomorrow."  
She clumsily grabbed her shirt from the back of the couch and wobbled up the stairs.  
Evelynn chuckled. "Until tomorrow tiger." she said quietly, uncertain if Kali had heard. But the girl with the dragon on her back, smiled as she in fact, did.

* * *

The next morning, Akali was the first up. It was probably around ten. She decided to go on a short run before she would head out for breakfast with Eve.  
Running was cathartic for her. Just like her fighting routine. It allowed her to release her anxiety, while still letting her mind run a thousand miles a second. Did she _like_ Eve? Did Eve _like her back?_ she thought about it on repeat, replaying in her mind the past days. How she had managed to be on equal footing with the demoness. How they had fought but also how _she_ had been less of a tease, and more sincere. She thought about the bite.  
_Stop it Kali, that's not smart._ she thought to herself, she ran faster.  
After she had to stop to catch her breath, she also thought about what Evelynn had said.  
  
**_Nothing. You hear me? Nothing, is wrong with me._**

The words echoed in Akali's brain. The way she had said it was beyond anger. Rage. Almost like she was trying her best to convince herself. She was trying to control herself so much, and control her life, that she didn't allow herself to hurt when it was necessary.  
It was eleven when she got back in the penthouse. Kai'sa was awake and seemed hangover. Ahri nowhere in sight, probably still sleeping it off.  
She nodded to Kai'sa which waved her hand as a salute. It seemed like the dancer was not willing to speak yet, probably the hangover taking its toll.  
Akali stretched and rolled her shoulders. She could distinguish the smell of bodywash from the bathroom now. She grabbed fresh clothes from her bedroom and headed back down to the living room where Kai'sa had made herself tea.  
"I'll take a shower downstairs, I assume Eve is taking a bath." said the songwright a lot softer than she would normally talk, knowing how terrible hangover headaches could be. "Tell her I'll be there in thirty."  
Kai'sa was grateful that Akali understood her state. She dismissed her from the couch with a wave and a thumbs up.  
Swiftly she decided to take the stairs down. Seven stories and a hundred and forty steps. Good way to end her run, she thought.  
She was fast at this. It was her favorite workout. In a minute she was huffing and puffing at the bottom of the staircase. She patted herself on the back and headed to the shower room.  
It happened often that one of the other girls was taking over the upstairs bathroom. Akali was used to getting to the gym showers whenever that happened. She didn't like waiting for her to get cleaned up.  
She took a fresh shower. Not cold but slightly below the regular "hot" shower she was used to taking. The water hitting her warm skin felt nice.  
After ten or fifteen minutes she was done, she hopped out joyously and started by drying her hair.

The warm water of the bath was relaxing her to no end. She heard a knock on the door.  
"Mh?" she hummed loudly enough so that whoever it was outside the door could hear.  
Kai'sa poked her head in without directly looking at Evelynn who was completely submerged in the bubbly water, her lashers softly resting on the side of the bathtub.   
"Kali told me to let you know she'll be back up in thirty minutes for breakfast." said the dancer almost whispering.  
She didn't wait for Eve to say anything and closed the door. Evelynn's heart fluttered. She was nervous. She didn't understand how Akali resisted her Allure, but she did. She wondered about the tattoo. Akali had seemed particularly confused at its reappearance.  
A few minutes later, she got out of the water and readied herself. She tied her magenta hair up on her head in a simple bun. She had decided to wear something simple today. She didn't want to bring unwanted attention to herself for once. 

"Eve?" asked Akali's voice through the door.  
"I'll be out in a minute, darling." she answered, giving the final touch to her eyeliner.  
"I'll be in the living-room."  
Akali's leg was bouncing up and down. She was restless from nervousness. _Why am I even so stressed out, she just wants to have a casual chat???_ The tremors from her leg not being enough to help her calm down, she started tapping on her hand and flexing her fingers repeatedly.  
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. One, two, three, four, five, she breathed out slowly, controlling the rate at which she released the air.  
"Are you feeling all right, love?" asked Evelynn in a somewhat concerned tone.  
"Ye- yeah." said Akali. Her breathing technique didn't work.  
"I'll drive us." said the songstress pushing her glasses up her nose.  
"Aight." said Akali trying her hardest to avoid looking at Evelynn.  
"Akali, we're just having breakfast." teased the magenta haired demoness.  
Akali preferred not answering, and still tried her best to avoid the golden gaze of her bandmate.

It was always a treat to be in one of Eve's cars. Her latest purchase was, of course very expensive, but today she didn't want to go _over the top_. And so they got in a midnight purple Audi R8 that she reserved for the discreet kind of drives. Or at least, to her standard it qualified as discreet.  
The V10 purred gently as she toggled the ignition. Akali felt herself relax at the sound of the car. But what really relaxed her was when Evelynn put her hand on her bouncing leg.  
"You don't have to tell me anything if you're not comfortable with it. We can also just enjoy the moment, and have coffee somewhere nice. Okay, love?" she stated it calmly, genuinely.  
Their eyes locked as the purr of the motor was making Akali slowly let go of the anxiety that had filled her earlier. The songwriter caught herself looking intently at the songstress' lips and cleared her throat.  
"Yeah, okay, ahem- Let's go!" Akali said, seemingly having regained some composure.  
Evelynn smiled and drove them to a quiet coffee place, where she ordered coffees and some assortment of freshly baked goods.   
She allowed Akali to take one sip of the coffee, not one more. And then she drove them away, taking a bit of highway on the road to make the V10 show its potential.  
Akali was equally as excited about the drive as Evelynn was. Both enjoyed the thrill of motorsports in the same fashion. Something about the amount of control it requires, probably.  
They finally arrived at a spot towering the city from the side of the hill. It smelled like pine wood and salt water. The city was looking like an ant colony from up there, bustling with noise and people going about their business.  
Conveniently, a bench was resting on the side of the small area at which they had stopped. They both sat, Akali grabbed a croissant from the paper bag and bit it eagerly.  
"I have no idea why my tattoo is back." she said her mouth still full "But I think this is why I can resist your Allure." she took a sip of coffee.  
"What do you mean by that?" asked Evelynn, sipping on her own cup, looking at the city.  
"Well, it's supposed to be some kind of _ward_." she said with apprehension.  
Evelynn seemed unfazed.  
"So it would protect you from my demonic influence?" asked Evelynn.  
"I guess?" she took another bite. "I don't really know what's at work here."  
"Hm." acquiesced the songstress. She took a long sip of coffee and hummed.  
"Now if you have any sort of question. I'd be happy to oblige." declared Akali with a smile.  
"Actually yes, I do have a question for you."  
"What is it?"  
"May I kiss you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> phew that was a trip wasn't it? more to come soon!! ;)


	4. A Treaty on Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER CW : VISUAL DEPICTIONS OF INJURIES AHEAD.

Akali stared at her flabbergasted, not knowing if she should say anything. More than wanting her to do so, she was confused.  
"Wha- why?" she finally asked.  
"I just want to test a theory." said the songstress thoughtfully.  
It didn't look like Evelynn had any sort of hidden motive behind that question. She genuinely wanted to test something out.  
"And what theory would that be exactly? Your bite already almost took a part of me away, what will a kiss do?" said the songwriter defensively, internally panicking.  
"See my bite was when I was acting on instinct. Out of anger mostly. Now my mind is clear, love. I just want to see if your tattoo would lit up the same way it did yesterday when you bit _me_." stated Eve almost in a scholarly manner.  
Akali stayed silent for a minute, dubious. She didn't know what she wanted, or if she even wanted Evelynn to cross that boundary. But she thought about what she had said. It made sense to try. Whichever the result, it would give an idea as to why the tattoo had shown itself again.  
Was it because of _her_ that it reappeared, or was it just coincidence? Was it because of the Allure's most venomous part? Was it because of her own personal fight?   
The questions kept coming, both girls sat in silence for a while, mostly avoiding each other's gaze.  
"I understand if that's too far." eventually said Evelynn a bit dejected.  
"No- well uh." said Akali maybe a bit too quickly.   
Evelynn looked at her intently, she could feel both the confusion and the hint of desire in her fragrance. Her lips crooked up in a smile but she didn't dare interrupt the songwriter in her own turmoil.  
"I don't know Eve, I don't-" she got interrupted by the songstress' delicate chuckle.  
"Akali, darling." she said.  
The raven haired rapper gulped, her face lighting up crimson. Evelynn leaned towards her face and gave her the whiff of Allure like she had done before. But unlike the previous time, Akali didn't feel entranced or _taken_. Instead her own feelings were increased tenfold. Their lips a few centimeters away from each other, Akali took a long breath in, closed her eyes. And leaned in.  
Evelynn kept her eyes open, after all she wanted an answer to her theory. The kiss was just a good excuse.   
As their lips touched Akali's breath staggered, like she wanted to stop herself. But it didn't last. The warm embrace of the Allure felt heavy like a chain on her shoulders. Evelynn leaned back, leaving her breath, shattering that chain as quickly as it had appeared. Then pulled Akali forward to take a glance at her tattoo.  
The songwright was dazed, both high on the feeling the kiss had brought, and on the delectable venom. While the Allure wasn't acting nearly as strong as it normally would, Akali had definitely let it instill her mind with want.  
It was like she had let the door open and a gust of hot wind had blown. Her spine felt stiff, like old rusted cogs. 

"Hm, that's curious." said the songstress drawing the tattoo with her finger as she looked at it from over Akali's shoulder.  
"What is?" asked the songwright in a hoarse deep tone. She tried to clear her throat.  
"It's not glowing." said Evelynn.  
Akali felt relieved at the statement. The tattoo was a coincidence for the most part.  
"Well that's pretty good news!" she said, dismissing completely the fact that Evelynn and her had just kissed.  
"Is it?"  
"Well yeah, it means..." Akali stopped herself.   
"Mhm, that's what I thought too Kali." said Evelynn "If the tattoo isn't there because of _my own_ devilish presence near you."  
"Why is it there..." finished Akali.  
Both the girls gave each other a conniving look. They understood all too well that, if it had been only Evelynn's Allure, it would mean something simple. Nothing too bad to worry about. But if the tattoo showed up because of somebody else, of _something_ else... They needed to talk to Kai'sa and Ahri.   
"We should go home." said Akali. Evelynn nodded.  
"Notify Kai and Ahri, yes I agree."  
"Like you're reading my mind." chuckled Akali.  
" _Well, I kind of am Kali._ " said Evelynn with a smirk.

* * *

"You **WHAT**?" said Kai'sa and Ahri in unison.  
"Listen, it's really not the way you think." interrupted Akali, sweeping her own insecurities and feelings under an imaginary rug.  
"We have a bigger issue here than me having kissed Akali, girls." said Evelynn helping herself a glass of water.  
Akali nodded energetically.  
"You know the glow you saw yesterday, when I bit Eve." said Akali. _I can't believe that it is a phrase I just said._ she thought.  
"Yeah?" asked Kai'sa.  
"Well Eve wanted to test a theory, that the glow wasn't related to her allure, or her _demonic influence?_ Was that the term you used?" declared Akali.  
"Yes, that was." she drank some water and continued. "I had expected that this _ward_ of yours would have appeared solely because of my own devilish self." she paced slowly around the couch where Ahri was sitting.  
"So wait, you're telling me that, your _tattoo_ is back because of _a greater evil_?" said Kai'sa incredulous.  
"More or less yes. I don't really know the specifics." said Kali rubbing her neck. "You remember what I told you about my old master Shen?" she asked.  
"You mean the part where he can project astrally?" said Kai'sa.  
"No not that part, the fact that he pushed me to get the tattoo to protect me from the part of dark inside of me. Because of one specific _evil_ being." declared the songwriter.  
Evelynn was still pacing, listening acutely.  
"He never told me its name. But if I had to guess..." she gave a side look at Evelynn.  
Ahri was surprisingly quiet. Listening almost as acutely as Evelynn was, her eyes looking blank, as she was diving into memories.  
"The good part is that we figured it out quick. Well _figured it out..._ " said Akali opening air quotes.  
"The bad part is that we have no idea how to prevent an attack, or which of the greaters is after _her_ or if I can even take them on." said Eve sharply.  
"Eve, where's our book." said Ahri turning to grab the demon's golden gaze.  
"Which one?"  
"The one where we tracked supernatural occurrences since we began K/DA."   
One of Evelynn's lashers extended towards the tall black bookshelf from under the staircase. She walked towards it and grabbed what seemed to be an old leather book.  
The lasher casually dropped it next to Ahri which started flicking through the pages eagerly.  
"At least I can tell with certitude, that it isn't anything about the void." stated Kai'sa, her brow furrowed.  
"You can feel that?"  
"Yeah, perks of living with a symbiote." she said jokingly. "The Void ripples when there's breaches." she then added.  
"Could you contact this Shen person again?" asked Ahri.  
Akali laughed nervously.  
"I mean I could try." she swallowed.  
"What do you mean? What's stopping you?" asked Evelynn.  
"Uh, I don't know, _ASTRAL PROJECTION_ for one?"  
"Can't you just try?" pressed Evelynn.  
"It's not that easy Eve." snapped Akali rolling her eyes slightly bothered.  
Evelynn's claws clicked as she rolled her knuckles in annoyance.  
"Our last entry was when Akali met up with True Damage. Yasuo called me and said that there was an eerie restlessness in the suburbs of the city. But nothing showed up in the news."  
"That was over a year ago wasn't it?" asked Akali.  
"Yeah, that also was when you had that flicker." said Kai'sa.  
"Flicker?" said Evelynn inquisitive.  
"Eye flicker." said Kai'sa as if it was self explanatory.  
"You're gonna have to be more precise than this, darling." said the demon removing the pink sunglasses from her nose.  
"My eyes are naturally of a dark shade of green which almost leans towards brown." said the ninja, grabbing a knife from the counter top.  
Without warning she cut the inside of her hand over the sink and sniffed heavily at her own blood.  
"Look at her eyes Eve." said Kai'sa with a nod.

Akali winced in pain at the feeling of flesh rending. She then locked her eyes with Evelynn's. Ahri watching as well. For an instant, Akali's eyes went from green, to black, to intense red. Blood red.  
Evelynn was smiling all teeth out. She knew about blood hunters, she however didn't expect that her bandmate was one of them.  
"I used to be-"  
"A blood hunter. _Fascinating._ " said Evelynn not leaving Akali's eyes.  
The red flickered again to go back to the dark green.  
"Kai do you mind?" said Akali giving her the wounded hand with a pained smirk.  
Kai'sa's second skin crackled and extended towards the skin of her friend. Like covered in crystal shards Akali felt the slit in her skin mending. It wouldn't heal her fully, but it would definitely help.  
The void chosen's second skin retracted back in a crack and clacking sound.  
Akali's hand looked as if somebody had stitched her skin without wire.  
"I'll be right back." said the ninja heading towards the bathroom to pick up medical supplies.  
"Well this sure makes things interesting doesn't it." chortled the demon.  
Akali came back her hand now bandaged.  
Ahri looked at her phone.  
"We should probably call for a break with the agency. Avoid too much attention." said the fox eared girl with a sense of urgency.  
Kai'sa proposed herself to deal with this as they kept researching what primordial evil could be on its way. Ahri and Akali were both looking at the leather bound tome Evelynn had dropped on the couch a while ago.  
Evelynn on the other hand was now perched up on her lashers, looking for something specific. Her fingers were running on books that were probably older than Akali and Kai'sa combined. Odd languages, glyphs and scripts unknown to human eyes.   
Finally her hand stopped over one book that looked more like a stone than a book. It had no title on the spine. It was actually carved up in such a way that it looked like a real human spine, except in an obsidian black smooth rocky material.  
On the front, a sigil and runes that Evelynn read out loud.  
"A Treaty on Demons."   
Her lashers lowered her down as she went to sit on the couch next to Akali.  
"Can you read that darling?" asked Evelynn pointing at the runes.  
Akali stopped reading from the book Ahri was now grabbing on her lap. She looked at the runes. She first couldn't make sense of it, but she focused and the odd letters seemed like the were organizing themselves on the cover.  
"I- I can." she stammered.  
Evelynn chuckled joyously.  
" _You and I have probably more in common than you think darling.~_ "  
Akali looked at Evelynn's eyes. The black of the slitted iris almost like it was pulling her in. She shook her head.  
"What's this about?"  
"It's about demons. There used to be a whole section on me, but I burned it to a crisp." answered Evelynn sarcastically.  
"Unlucky. Would have loved to learn how to _make you shut up_." said Kai'sa from across the room holding her phone on her chest.  
Ahri and Akali laughed.  
Evelynn rose her hands in a questioning shrug, one of them pointing upwards. Kai'sa then shook her head angrily at the phone she was holding and mouthed : "You don't want the world to know about the fact you're a primordial devil do you?"  
"Okay, good point." she said as her eyebrows flicked up, conceding.  
Akali excused herself, she needed to get some air. Evelynn was extremely tempted to stop her and make her eyes flicker again. She was curious about everything Akali hadn't been talking about. Everything was a riddle. And Evelynn felt herself drawn to look for answers. However, she did no such thing and read through the spined book looking for a different answer.  
Which one of her counterparts was about to show its nose.

* * *

> Her eyes were glistening in an uncanny and eerie glow.  
>  Red. Blood red.  
>  She held her blade low, her step deft and quiet.   
>  She smirked at the smell.  
>  Irony. Heavy.   
>  Her hunt was coming to a close.  
>  Unafraid. Endless. Deathly.  
>  The dragon on her back sizzling. The burn made her more decided.  
>  Swift slit.   
>  Gushing. Effusion of the thick syrupy liquid.  
>  A splash on her face. She didn't look away.  
>  A sick melody from the thudding of bodies.  
>  One.  
>  Two.  
>  Three.  
>  Her hunt had come to a close.   
>  Her blade rose.  
>  The soft flicking sound of razor thin metal against skin.  
>  She pressed the blade on the pale skin without remorse.  
>  Like a river.  
>  On the floor, the drops.   
>  Plick. Plock.  
>  Her hands turned red.   
>  Fire woven tresses replacing her hair.  
>  Her skin scaly grey. Fangs like a serpent.  
>  Smoke filled her.  
>  She was the dragon, harbinger of death.   
>  Protector of the weak.  
>  Red in her eye gone.  
>  Black and gold.  
>  Dignified and proud.  
>  Smoke engulfed her like a dark velvet veil.  
>  She had cured this land.  
>  But her hunt began again.  
>  Somewhere else.  
>  Somewhere needed.

* * *

Akali couldn't sleep that night. Her mind running and completely overtaken by the reason as to why she could read the runes. She knew a lot was going to resurface, many old memories that she didn't want to remember. Many difficult choices she had hated to enjoy.  
She juggled with one of her gold plated karambits. She had two, they were her favorite knives.  
She chuckled at the reminiscence of the people she had killed in cold blood.  
She despised remembering this part of her life. _You've got a fucked up past Kali._ she told herself.  
_Well yeah thanks, I try to not remember it._ she whispered to herself with a sarcastic headshake.  
"What was that?" said Evelynn's soft tone.  
She jolted up, a bit startled.  
"You could knock. _Fuckin' hell-_ "  
"Door was open." simply answered the songstress. "Nice knives."  
"Thanks."  
"Killed anyone with them?" asked Evelynn disdainfully.  
" _Wouldn't you like to know, Madam Murderer?_ " said Akali, her head tilted to the left. She scowled.  
"Listen Kali. I came in good spirit, to tell you your past means little of who you are today." answered Evelynn in the most heartfelt way she could. "I mean look at me." she added pointing her hands towards her chest.  
"I sure am looking.~" said Akali teaseful.  
Evelynn purred in a smile.  
"Feeling feisty?~" she let out in a mellow tone.  
Akali was angry, frustrated, upset and exhausted at the same time.   
"Not quite." snapped the songwright.  
She jumped up so quick Evelynn didn't see her move. In an indescribable motion, she was only centimeters away from her face. Her eyes darkened, she wasn't in the mood to play nice. She wasn't in the mood to play at all.  
She bit her lips, held on the knife, her fists clenched. A shiver ran along her spine which made her flinch and raise her chin to make her neck pop.   
"Tsk." she pressed her tongue against the back of her front teeth her mouth agape. Staring at the demoness with a look she forgot she could have. She blew the air out of her nose forcefully and turned around.  
Evelynn had not moved a finger. She wanted Akali to let go and release the pressure. She could feel the irritating smell of her emotions, like a sickening perfume. As coarse and rough as sandpaper.  
"You know where to find me if you want to let the dragon show up.~" said Evelynn turning away.  
"I didn't say you could _leave_."  
"I do not need your permission." she snapped.  
Like a puff of smoke, Akali seemed to appear in front of Evelynn, the gold karambit now distinctly placed where Evelynn's heart was. The blade shining on her pale skin.  
The demon's eyes like acid on her lips. Her fangs poking out of her wicked smile. The intoxicating fragrance of the Allure filling her nostrils, Akali didn't budge. Neither did Evelynn. They stared at each other for minutes which felt like eons. Attempting to read each other's souls.  
Evelynn grabbed Akali's hand which was holding the knife on her chest. She pushed it inwards. The sound of flesh rending louder than it should be. Akali suddenly taken by panic wanted to leave the knife. But Evelynn's hand was tight over hers, like a python coiled on its prey.   
The world twisted in a swirl of red, black and gold. The heat of Evelynn's blood on Akali's hand was as if she had dipped her hand in molten metal. She screamed but no sound came out. Evelynn opened her mouth and a laugh that wasn't hers came out.  
Sick to her stomach. Breathing was laborious. She finally could free her hand from the knife. She grabbed her head, tried to scream again. Silence. She wanted to rip her own throat out.  
The dread, the pain. Terror. Utmost terror.

"AKALI WAKE UP." boomed Ahri.  
The songwright screamed in terror. Feverish almost. Her back covered in a cold sweat. Her hands were shaking, pupils dilated. Absolute panic.  
"Don't touch me." she whispered under her ragged breath.  
Her three bandmates looked at each other worriedly.   
Ahri pointed at the vodka flask still sitting on Akali's desk. Kai'sa grabbed it swiftly and threw it to Ahri who caught it and gave it softly to Akali.  
Evelynn's eyes were looking at the raven haired songwright with intense concern.  
Akali gulped on the vodka flask two times. The warmth of alcohol helped her steady herself but as she tried sitting upright, she retched on the side of the bed. What came out of her mouth wasn't, nor food, nor alcohol. It was akin to a blob of ink with odd streams of smokes coming out of it.  
The three girls looked at it both disgusted and curious. Akali wiped her mouth. The terror had passed.  
Her breathing was still uneven but she was slowly getting back to her senses.  
"So." said Evelynn her brows furrowed seriously.  
"I think we have an idea as to which one of the Greaters it is." said Ahri giving an intense look at Evelynn.  
"We do indeed." said the golden eyed demon.  
"Stop playing fucking riddles, I felt like I was about to die right there." said Akali.  
"The king of the night, embodiment of darkness, nightmare of the bright and the cursed alike." said Ahri, like a scholar reading a book.  
"Nocturne." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a tough one to write. And I didn't want to stay too long on it as it is mostly just the introduction to how I want to proceed with all this.  
> Now that that's said, I would like to say thanks to each and every person pushing me to write more, with all the positive feedback and comments yall have given me, it makes me want to keep going and do better each chapter.
> 
> And finally, since we are now acquainted with the Greater that's gonna mess with our favorite girls, I would like to formally apologize for what's to come. My brain is now going at full speed into the wall of my imagination. Bear with me, I promise it's not all bad.
> 
> Side note: I had Akali in fighting gear stuck in my head for two days and ended up drawing it to finally clear my own thoughts. Feel free to give it a look if you're curious!  
> https://twitter.com/Sparrowz_/status/1337079798988992513?s=20


	5. Agony's Gift

Evelynn was lost in thoughts, sitting crossed legged in the big leather arm chair of the living room. The look of panic from Akali's face anchored in her mind. Branded by it.  
She really despised Nocturne with passion. She thought his ways were perfidious, morbid, treacherous, unhealthy. Even for a demon, it had this something, way more disturbing than feeding on people's fears. Evelynn believed from her own knowledge, that demons weren't all bad like that. Her kind was ruthless and playful, unfazed by murder of humans for the most part, but they also just appreciated humankind for the same reason they thought they were weak. Without humankind, demons wouldn't be able to strive.   
To each soul a necessary sin, a red hot desire. Some embraced it more than others, of course. But it was the gist of it. Without the other, neither would survive. Light shines brighter in the dark.  
Nocturne didn't care about this. He wanted dominion. Endless paranoia in which he strove. Terror was his thing. The only thing he cared for was to be feared. Or so she believed, and as far as Evelynn knew, he didn't take kindly to his counterparts. He was younger than most of them, even if their ages were counted in centuries. He had blossomed from, according to rumors, a single man.  
Evelynn on the other hand, had been born from the combined darkness and agony of human kind.  
She was the first.  
Agony had many forms, which had made her more easily inclined to toy with humans instead of blatantly and ruthlessly killing them. Not that she wouldn't murder here and there. Sometimes a bit of blood had its effect on her, and she would get caught up in old cravings.  
But in the world of today, with all the lights on her, all the eyes staring at her every move. She preferred the delicacy of inner turmoil, the agony of human emotion was so much more delectable than physical torture.  
She let her hair down. From the deep magenta they were colored, she decided to let them take a pale pink, almost grey hue. The strands of hair flowed like a flame.  
She let her head fall backwards on the leather of the armchair. She was surprisingly bare of accessories. Her gold stare was looking at the ceiling emptily. She was starting to realize, that the three girls she had joined for this _fame_ thing, mattered more to her than what she originally thought. She scoffed at her own emotions. _Caring for such weak creatures isn't in my nature._ She thought to herself. But she had been proven wrong at multiple occurrences now. Humans weren't weak. Humans had an almost endless well of inner strength. Akali and Kai'sa were the living proof of that. One surviving the Void by sheer determination, the other still taking on the hardest of fights. The one that doesn't show itself.   
Evelynn conceded silently to herself. _All right, maybe some of them aren't weaklings._ She closed her eyes trying to erase the terrified visage of Akali from her memory. It was hurting her to think about the brutality of the nightmare that she had experienced. She was curious about it, but she knew this was treading on thin ice to ask about details. She could smell all the spectrum of human emotion, but terror had an acrid pungent smell. It wasn't enjoyable, it was a stain to her in the mellow flavors of desire and want. And while agony was her thing, she made it smell oh so sweet just like honey. So in comparison, fear and terror were just like dandelion leaves or the sting of freshly cut onion.  
She suddenly imagined Nocturne biting into an onion like an apple, and laughed a bit.

"What's making you laugh?" asked the tired voice of Akali.  
"Nothing important." she declared, her lips curled in a soft smile.  
"So um-" started Akali sitting down in the couch.  
Evelynn interrupted her raising her right index up. She flipped it and gestured at Akali to come sit down on her lap.  
"Eve..." sighed Akali.  
"Please?" pleaded the demon.  
Akali gave a quiet chuckle and got back up, to sit right next to Evelynn in the huge armchair. She gestured at her to scoot.   
When they were finally next to each other, feeling each other's warm skin without difficulty. Evelynn wrapped her arms around Akali's shoulders and nuzzled her face in the songwriter's neck.  
At first reluctant, Akali felt herself relax at the gentle touch. Allure dripping out of Evelynn like a thick fog, Akali breathed in and let herself be soothed by the extreme softness of its texture. She wondered why it was feeling like this.  
She turned her head slightly, meeting the top of Evelynn's head. She breathed in again, the smell of Lynn's shampoo was like a refreshing minty note in the thickness of the Allure.  
"Comfy?" cooed the woman at the feel of Akali's chin on her head.  
"Very."  
"I have a question for you." started the songstress "But you don't really need to answer it."  
"Shoot." whispered Akali.  
Evelynn turned her head to put her ear to Akali's collarbone. She could hear the regular heartbeat of the woman. She found herself to be soothed at the rhythm.  
"Do you let my Allure simmer in you?" her tone like velvet on Akali's ear.  
"What do you mean exactly?" said the ninja a bit confused.  
"Do you let _it_ in?"  
Akali stood quiet for a while. She wasn't sure she understood the question. Her brows furrowed. She let a forceful blow of air out of her nostrils.  
" _Maybe?_ " she eventually said, unsure.  
At the word, Evelynn's embrace felt tighter. The demon let out a slow delighted sigh.  
"I have another request of you, sweet thing." she purred.  
Akali hummed twice to agree.  
"I want to give you something I yet haven't given anyone. But it means you need to fully trust me, and let the Allure act at full potential."  
"Eve... why do you say that like a farewell?"  
"Would you let me?" ignoring the question, she raised her face from the cusp of Akali's neck, and was now facing her centimeters away from her lips.  
"Will it hurt?" asked Akali warily.  
"Not you. Oh and um, you might find yourself wanting my touch _more than what's already the case_." warned Evelynn playful and serious all at once.  
Akali chuckled. She didn't really understand what this was going to be about, but she trusted Evelynn, for some reason, she trusted her with her life.  
"All right. Hit me. What do I have to do? And more importantly, what's the kick?"  
"It's my very personal gift from _me_ to _you_ , you just have to _let me in._ "   
The tone she employed was heavy and serious now.   
"It will make Nocturne unable to give you those nightmares again." she added.  
"Well you could have led with that." said Akali with an eyeroll.  
Evelynn tutted slightly amused, but mostly just glad that Akali seemed to have understood it was for her protection.  
"How do I let you in?" asked Akali.  
Evelynn put her index on the songwright's lips.  
" _ **Just, relax. And breathe.**_ " said Evelynn in an echo-y voice, distorted almost.  
The sound of her voice was odd and distant. Akali closed her eyes and breathed out, her muscles felt like metal in the softness of the armchair. The Allure almost burning her insides as she breathed in, a weirdly enjoyable warmth. Evelynn's hand ran along her jaw in a soft caressing way.  
Like the world around them had disappeared, engulfed in a black smoky shroud, Evelynn made Akali stand up. Their hands locked, fingers intertwined. A fuzzy feeling in Akali's stomach. She chuckled softly. Evelynn noticed, her eyes half open were of a deep honey color, she stared at the girl in front of her with the same desire Akali had given her not long ago.  
Then it felt like falling, as Evelynn grabbed Akali by the shoulders, making her rotate like a dancer, their hands still locked. The songstress hummed in the same echo-y distorted way.  
" _ **Let go of all inhibitions.**_ "  
A shiver ran along Akali's spine as the words were whispered to her ear.   
" _ **Let me satisfy you.**_ "  
A hot mist from her breath on Akali's neck. Akali felt taken, entranced. The world like a gentle tempest of emotions, each more colorful than the other. Their souls swirling with one another.  
" ** _Let me own you._** "   
Evelynn's lips brushed on the duveting hair on her neck. Akali's mouth agape.  
Then swiftly, while still being extremely gentle. Evelynn poked the skin of the rapper with her sharp fangs. She pricked the skin, like a needle her fangs dripped her venom. Agony's gift.  
It made Akali forget her name, the soft purr of the demon's voice echoed in her mind. Images of Evelynn's claws on her shoulder from two days ago. Another image, of the kiss they shared on the bench the day before. The bite on her neck, her tongue pressing on her skin. She breathed in, searching for the addicting aura of the Allure.  
She found herself wanting more. She wanted it all. She gave in completely.  
" _ **I won't let terror find its way in this beautiful mind of yours.**_ "  
The voice of Evelynn echoed until she finally let a single golden tear run down her cheek.   
Like a ripple in darkness, the golden drop lit the world awake into an explosion of light and delightful warmth.  
Akali fainted.  
Evelynn grabbed her swiftly. She was expecting it, and held the girl in her arms. Her lashers gently picking the rapper up, she made her lay down on the couch, and tucked her in a blanket.  
The songstress sat down next to Akali, her hand resting on the raven haired girl's legs.  
"I won't disappoint you little tiger, I promise."

* * *

The next morning Akali felt refreshed. Evelynn was next to her, her eyes closed but she could feel that the demon was awake. She tried to remember what had happened after she had accepted that Evelynn give her a... gift?   
She stared at the chiseled jawline of the demoness, her pale skin like the fairest of marbles.  
"Eve?" she asked in a gentle tone.  
"Mh."   
"What happened yesterday? I can't remember a thing."  
Evelynn opened an eye and rose her eyebrow with a sly smile.  
" _You gave yourself to me.~_ " said the songstress.  
Akali felt her cheeks turn crimson.  
"Did you sleep well, love?" asked Evelynn turning softly to face the songwriter, ignoring completely the flustered look on the woman facing her.  
"Actually yeah, best sleep I had in a while."  
Akali rubbed her eyes and yawned.  
"Coffee?"  
"That would be lovely."  
Akali got up swiftly and felt oddly dizzy. She caught herself turning around to look at Evelynn. She bit her lip and went towards the kitchen to prepare some breakfast. She felt drawn to the demon in a different way than the previous days.  
"I'm sorry to ask but, was that _your gift_?" asked Akali while she was sniffing the coffee pot.  
"What do you mean darling?~" teased Eve.  
"You know what I'm saying." snapped Akali, she still pinched her lips to refrain from biting them though.  
 _*We're connected now sweetheart._ said Evelynn in her brain.  
 _*What the fuck?_ thought Akali.  
 _*Language._ said Evelynn's voice almost instantly.  
 _*Are you reading my mind?_ thought the songwriter _*No, actually don't answer that._  
 _*It works both ways, you just have to concentrate._ her voice said in a chortle.  
Akali tried her luck. What she then saw, was a mix of Evelynn wanting to put her hand on her throat to poke the skin of her jawline, as her shiny rose lips were pressing on the other side of her face. Teasing her earlobe with her tongue.  
Akali was scarlet red.  
" _Feeling okay?~_ " asked Evelynn inquisitive as she got up, still playfully teasing the songwright.  
Akali chuckled nervously.  
"Uh- hah. Yeah I guess?" she was unsure if it was a figment of her imagination or if it was true that the songstress could read her thoughts.  
"Yes." she grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee "I can hear you think."  
 _*Fuck._  
"Language."  
"Oh shut up." said Akali giving her a punch in the shoulder.  
Evelynn laughed.  
"It'll be a while to get used to. But I promise you it comes with a massive advantage, especially since you voided the contract."  
"Wait I voided what now?"  
"You remember the first... _let's use the word fight_ we had?" stated the demon.  
Akali nodded, avoiding Evelynn's gaze.  
"You tasted my Allure, but you also made me lose the one thing that I needed to make a contract with you."  
"Which is?"  
"Control."  
Evelynn's tone was mellow and deep. Akali swallowed what felt like a rock. Their eyes crossed.   
"Your eyes are really beautiful, darling." said Evelynn out of the blue.  
Akali scoffed.  
"Yours aren't bad either." she answered with a surprising amount of composure.  
Evelynn smiled showing off her fangs. Akali looked at her mouth, her own opening up, the demon's smile was intoxicating. A feeling of warmth grew from her lower back. Her heartbeat accelerated.  
"Now now, _we can get to that later_ , we have pressing matters to talk about that require your whole awareness." simply said Evelynn, lifting Akali's chin with a finger.   
She thought about the lyrics she had written for Evelynn's song. _Fill my head with dread, I don't care_ the songwright thought loudly.  
" _That's the plan, tiger._ " said Evelynn. "Just not right now. Patience."  
Akali bit her lips and sighed loudly, visibly annoyed at the refusal.

The day passed without any incident. Ahri had gone with Kai'sa to a place she called The Library. Like it was some special thing, and she had assumed right after Evelynn explained it was a hidden place under the city, that only a few people could access. Eve herself admitted she couldn't get in, because she was a demon. She proceeded to tell Akali that only Ahri, Yasuo, Sivir and Senna were the names of those she _knew_ could get in the Library.  
She assumed that others she didn't know could as well, but this knowledge didn't really bother her, as she had stopped being seen as a major threat since KDA brought the spotlight on her. She wouldn't just wreak havoc now, especially given the power over mortals it gave her.  
Akali decided to share the knowledge her old master once told her. Without naming Nocturne, all the descriptions of acts taken to protect her, ward her, were definitely something that Evelynn had understood to be against him in particular. She was curious about the fact that Akali's master could project his soul in the astral plane to communicate. She thought only demons were able to walk the spirit realm. Guess she was wrong again about the resourcefulness of humankind.  
It was around three in the afternoon when there was a knock on the penthouse's door.  
Akali went to open it, her hand ready to pull a knife from the hidden pocket strap on her back.

"Akali?" asked a deep stern voice.  
The man facing her was a tall man wearing a beige white tuxedo which fit him perfectly, black jeans and colorful kicks. His hair was slick on top, shaven on the sides in an intricate pattern of geometrical shapes. His bottom lip bore one ring, in the middle. His skin seemed carved out of brown marble, with angular and yet smooth edges.  
"I'm Lucian, Senna's husband?" his voice relaxed at the sight of the demoness behind Akali. "You must be Eve, yes?"  
"Mh-hm.~" she hummed with a wily smile.  
"Ahri told me." he said "The one you're up against." his look was serious.  
Akali let him in, not releasing the grip on her knife.  
"Sit, sit. Can I get you anything?" said Evelynn pointing at the bar.  
"Gin, dry, if you have some."  
 _*Didn't take him for a gin drinker... Disappointing._ heard Akali from Eve's mind.  
Akali relaxed herself and removed her hand from her knife. She smiled.  
"How's Senna doing?" asked Akali, trying to spark up a conversation.  
"She's doing pretty good, she told me you're quite the songwriter, lyrics are your forte." he said, his voice was smooth but deep.  
"Well, to each their own, I'm not the best singer, so I make up for it." she chuckled and rubbed her neck a bit taken aback by the compliment.  
 _*Bullshit and you know it Kali._ thought Eve loudly so Akali couldn't ignore her.  
 _*Shut up, will you??_ she gave a glare to Eve.  
Lucian looked at Akali then at Evelynn arching his left brow, confused.  
"Is everything fine?" he asked.  
"Yes! Yes. Everything A-OK." answered Akali without missing a beat, a bit too fast even.  
"So what do you bring us Lucian?" asked Evelynn, sliding the glass of gin on the countertop to the man.  
He snapped his fingers and suddenly, a white stone book, akin to the black one Evelynn had picked up from the bookshelf the day before appeared in his hands.  
The demon of agony hummed in delight.  
"What is this?" asked Akali.  
"Light Bearing, A Manual to Purge the Specters of Runeterra."  
 _*Hmmm, it's been a long time since I last heard that name being used for our world._ thought Evelynn with a sort of melancholy.  
Akali attempted to focus on being able to speak to Lucian. Her own thoughts were loud enough, she didn't need to hear _everything_ that Evelynn was thinking.   
_*How do I turn this thing off?_ thought Akali, her brows furrowed as she flicked through the pages of the white book while Lucian told her about his fight with a specter called Thresh.  
 _*Like I said love, it takes a while to get used to._ answered Evelynn while she was sipping on her glass of wine.  
 _*Oh fuck off, let me think!_ Akali's thoughts sharp like a knife.  
 _*Language._  
 _*Eve I swear, I'll strangle you._ she was angry.  
 _*If that's what you're into._ teased the demon with a wink.   
Like the flick of a switch, she managed to focus on the book. She refused to pay attention to Eve out of spite. Lucian had come around to give them knowledge about Nocturne, and they needed all they could get.  
"So, anything on... you know?" said Akali to Lucian refusing to say the Nightmarish Shade's name.  
"I have no recorded activity of him in the past decade." stated the man "It's always a difficult thing to decipher his appearances. It's usually targeted at humans who do not understand he's at work." he added.  
Akali nodded, listening intently.  
"As far as I know, he hasn't reached physical yet." he said, looking at Evelynn.  
"I see."  
"Reached physical?" repeated Akali.  
"It's when demons manage to accumulate enough energy from souls to mold themselves out of shadow." he said, scholarly. "Eve here is one of the only recorded demonic aspects to have managed it."  
Akali looked at Evelynn, both impressed and slightly wary. She still didn't want her thoughts back in.  
The demon ran her tongue on her lips with a teasing smile. Akali rolled her eyes and glowered at her angrily.  
"What if he does, _reach physical_?" asked Akali.  
"Oh boy, that's uh- that's going to be bad. Real bad thing." he looked at Evelynn. "You should tell her what happened when you did, heh." he huffed half a laugh.  
"I went on a murder spree." she declared simply licking her finger after having picked up an olive from the bowl on the counter top.  
 _*Hot._ thought Akali sarcastically.  
Evelynn laughed at the bit of thought Akali had shared.  
"So basically we can expect him to _go nuts_ is that it?" summarized Akali still flicking through the pages of the white stone book.  
"Probably. Even though, his methods are slightly more debatable than how Evelynn proceeds." stated Lucian. "Not that I agree with murder mind you. But he creates chaos out of his lust for terror."  
"I know all about lust, darling. This isn't it." snapped Evelynn, as if Lucian had cursed. "He doesn't care for _anything_ but his own grand scheme."  
Lucian explained to Akali that he strived on paranoia created by insomnia. Nightmares being his fuel, twisting dreams into terror as they tapped into people's psyche. What you are afraid of losing, what you want in life, anything inducing anxiety or fear was his domain. Physical pain for him is rarely necessary, as panic and terror would make humans rise against one another. He would only very rarely get his own hands dirty.  
"We can expect that we will have a wave of murders soon. This will be a difficult hunt." said Lucian, closing the white book. A snap of his fingers and it seemed to disappear in a flash of white dust.  
"I'm not worried about the hunt in itself." said Akali. "I'm more worried about how to get his blood." she said.  
 _*Hot._ said Evelynn's voice in a sing-song tone. Akali surprised herself with a smirk and the roll of her eyes.  
Lucian chuckled.  
"This might be easier than you think young one." he looked at Akali with his bright eyes. "I'll be back in three days with the vial." he said to Evelynn.  
"Had it been me, I would have given it willingly." said Evelynn looking at Akali with hungry eyes.  
"I'm gonna need more than a vial Lucian." said the rogue dismissing completely what the demoness had said.  
"Not a problem, I know a guy." he said with a smile and a wink. "I'll send Senna your way soon. You will need her to teach you how to wield the mist of this one." he said designating Evelynn with his chin.  
"Thresh and I have nothing in common." she scoffed.  
"Yet you both use a mist veil to travel to the soul realm, am I wrong?" Lucian glared at Evelynn.  
 _*Okay you smartass, I guess you got a point._ thought the demon angrily. Akali repressed a laugh.  
"Hm." she dismissed him with a shrug.  
 _*You really hate conceding huh._ Kali's voice rang in Eve's head.  
The demon breathed out forcefully, it made the songwright laugh.  
"All right girls, thank you for your time. We will see each other again." declared Lucian with a respectful bow. "Give my best to Ahri."  
"Of course!" said Akali. "It was nice meeting you man." she saluted him with a hand as he closed the door.

* * *

Ahri and Kai'sa got home late that night. But it was expected, the Library had tight security, so they couldn't just enter and grab any book. They needed to stay in to research.  
The girls ate delivery Chinese food as they chatted about how to take on Nocturne. A plan was definitely starting to take shape.   
It was the first time that Akali saw Kai'sa as a strategist, and Ahri as the Kitsune she was. She thought that maybe, they had a chance to see the downfall of the Nightmare King.  
Evelynn's thoughts interrupted her own. _*We cannot kill him._  
 _*What? What do you mean we cannot kill him??_ Akali's voice rang loudly in Evelynn's skull, which lead to her putting a hand to her temple.  
 _*We, demons, summons, do not die._ her voice stated sharply. _*We simply disappear for a few decades, and come back later, all freshened up._  
 _*You're immortal?_ Akali rose both eyebrows as her eyes widened at her bandmate.  
Evelynn's look turned sorrowful.  
Akali didn't hear her thoughts for the rest of the night.

* * *

Akali had gone to her bedroom, ready to get some more rest. Planning all of this was definitely exhausting.  
She cursed at herself when she knocked the flask of vodka on the ground. Thank god it was closed tightly.  
On the side of her bed the stain of the ink blob was still dotting the carpet. Kai'sa had stated it was better to keep it in a glass box to study it, as it was probably going to be one of their best leads, if not the only one. Of course Ahri and Evelynn had agreed. Akali not so much, it felt odd and disturbing to keep this thing.

Her own question resonated.  
 ** _You're immortal?_**  
She had asked herself the question, without really wanting Evelynn to hear it or answer it. There was a lot to take in, and figuring out that the person she had spent most of the past few years with, was an ageless being. Well it was... _something_ for sure.  
She sighed. She wanted Eve to be there. She wanted to tell her that she was fine.  
She had seen the look of worry taint her golden pearls. She had hated it. She just really hated when anybody would worry for her. She had hated that on Shen, she had hated it on her love interests, hated it on her mother's face.  
She punched angrily at her pillow.  
 _*I can feel that. You know._ said Evelynn's voice, even though she was nowhere close.  
 _*Eve. Don't intrude._ snapped Akali.  
 _*Oh but I'm not. It's like you were screaming that._  
"Screaming _what_?" she whispered under her breath with disdain and anger.  
 _*Your pain._ simply answered Eve's voice.  
 _*Come over here, I'll show you pain._ thought Akali angrily with a hint of tease.  
She heard Evelynn snickering from the door.  
"Be careful what you wish for.~" declared the demon in her mellow tone.

Akali glared. She wanted to be angry at her but she couldn't. Instead she cleared her throat, and with a shrug, asked Evelynn to come sit down on the bed with her.  
"I have questions for you Lynn." said Akali seriously.  
"I'll do my best to answer them, but no promises."  
"Are you immortal?" asked the rogue, stabbing her green eyes in Evelynn's.  
It took a while for Eve to answer.  
"Not anymore."  
"Wha- why? How?" asked Akali disconcerted.  
"My gift, _to you_ , comes at a price." she answered dull. "The price being, mortality." her tone was sad, afraid almost.  
" _Why in the world would you think that MY life is worth more than yours?_ " snapped Akali nervously. Anger filled her, she didn't want to give into it but she couldn't help it.  
"As long as you live. I live." said Evelynn, unfazed with the boiling anger in Akali's mind. "There is one thing that I don't know about though. About this." she added.  
Akali refused to say anything.  
"I do not know if it also works the other way around."  
 _*Wait._ thought Akali almost instantly.  
"Maybe, just maybe, my mortality is the price for both our immortalities. Yes." said Evelynn, anticipating on the question.  
"Eve, I don't want you to _die._ "  
"Neither do I, _you_ , Tiger."  
Akali's face felt warm.  
"Now that, that's out of the question. May I ask you something?" asked the demon, sitting back on the bed, cross-legged.  
"Go ahead." answered Akali with a shrug.  
"What was your nightmare about?" declared the songstress "You don't have to speak. I can see it if you remember it well enough."  
"I-uh..." stammered the rapper. "I would rather not share that." said Akali, swallowing with difficulty.  
"I understand that it's hard honey but-" started Evelynn.  
"No, it's not _that_." interrupted the songwright. She was blushing, a lot.  
Evelynn felt the shame drip out of Akali.  
" _Oh?_ "  
She then felt intense pain and fear.  
"He _forced me_ to..." she whispered, the words felt suddenly impossible to say. "He _made me_... hurt... you." she finally murmured.  
Evelynn's blood froze. She didn't understand why, but the fact that Akali had just said this made her realize that the rogue was caring deeply for her. Her heart felt like it was breaking in a million of pieces. _She cared the same way for Akali._  
She leaned forward and grabbed the demon in her arms.  
"I don't want you to worry for me."  
"You know that's impossible." said Evelynn still frozen.  
"We'll have to work this whole thing out, yeah?" said Akali, the blossom of hope invigorating her tone.  
"Hm."

Evelynn locked her mind. She was confused, humans are confusing sometimes. Often. She wanted to run away from the room. She considered going on a midnight drive, but preferred staying with the rogue to make sure she would get some rest.  
And so, both the girls burrowed themselves under the blanket of the bed, and let the night erase incertitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy! I managed to finish this a bit earlier than I thought, so I thought I should update right away. Hope this was as good for you to read as it was for me to write! Had a lot of fun with the whole telepathic thing. We can expect some really funny interactions with that later hahaha ;)
> 
> Since life is calling me this tuesday, next chapter will probably be published on wednesday or thursday. Hopefully wednesday.  
> AAAAAAAAANYWAYS. Cya all soon for the next one!!! :D


	6. A Misty Disguise

On the next day, Akali found herself alone in bed. Evelynn must have left when she fell asleep.  
She laid down on her back, one arm above her head, the blanket was warm and comfortably resting on her chest.  
She didn't feel Evelynn's mind nearby. _Maybe she didn't want to get annoyed with my brain on steroids._ thought Akali with a sad chuckle.  
She then thought about her old master Shen. She tried to remember her best, how to spirit walk. Astral projection wasn't her thing. He had taught her that restlessness was the biggest stop to it. She needed her soul at peace. Calm and quiet. And the morning peacefulness seemed to be the best bet to try right now.  
She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She forgot what was around her. The buzzing sound of life made itself distant. She took her mind in a place she knew she would be feeling at ease. Memories of gingko leaves rustling with the wind. The yellow wave surrounded her with the warm wind.   
She felt her soul lifting. Like she could see beyond appearances. It didn't last. Her mind was already going on another path. One she still wanted to take... even though she didn't believe _now_ was the right time for it. Her hips felt heavy.  
 _*Fuck._ she thought with her brow furrowing for half a second.  
Evelynn's voice rang in her head without it really being there. Language. She lost herself thinking about the demon's lips. About her bite. About her warm sizzling skin.  
 _*Akali, there is literally a demonic nightmare shade thing that wants to fucking eat your ass, what is going on with you!?_ she yelled to herself.  
"Kali are you okay?" asked Ahri from the door.  
She huffed and tutted. A low growl rumbled in her throat. She opened her eyes, rolled on the side and shrugged.  
" _As okay as a girl can be when she's got a demon with a direct window to her mind I guess._ " she told her friend with a tone which both said, I do not want to talk about it, but I also _REALLY_ want to talk about it.  
"Tell me." requested Ahri sitting on the bed. She looked oddly refreshed.  
"Did Eve ever tell you about giving a gift or something?" said Akali unsure about how to talk about this all.  
"She has mentioned one thing yes. Agony's gift I think she called it." said Ahri softly. "Why?"  
"She said she gifted it to me." said Akali. "And now we can hear each other think. And I'd like to be able to concentrate to contact Shen, my old master." she blurted out, happy to finally be able to let go of that burden.  
Ahri's face lit up with surprise and amazement.  
"Well that's _something_... Wow." said the kitsune.  
"You say that like its special."  
"Because it is Kali." said Ahri with a heartfelt smile.  
"How is her giving up on immortality _for me_ any fair??" Akali stood up in a jolt, any possible relaxation in order to spirit walk was out the wind.  
" _Excuse me, can you repeat that?_ " said Ahri incredulous. The fox girl knew about Agony's gift because Evelynn had once explained she wanted to be able to share her strength with somebody that would be worth the fight. Someone with enough mental strength. Ahri and Eve had known each other for centuries, and never before the Kitsune had heard about her actually giving that gift to anybody.  
"Yeah. She told me she gave up her immortality for me." snapped Akali, her mind now racing so quickly she was pacing in her room along with it.  
"There must be a catch, no way Eve would have done this if there wasn't a catch." said Ahri under her breath, searching through her memories to understand better.  
"She did mention something about both of us being _immortal_ maybe, like as long as we don't get killed kind of deal." her hands were twitching, and she repeatedly brought her right knuckle to her chin.  
" _Hold on a second Kali._ " said Ahri stopping her train of thoughts dead in its tracks. "She shared her immortality with you, and you're worried for her?" said Ahri.  
"I suppose yeah, that's it." stammered the rapper.  
" _Kali, I don't need to be Eve to smell how much you love her._ " declared the fox-tailed girl with a smile that was so soft, anybody would have told her anything she wanted to know.  
Akali stopped walking and turned to Ahri. Her face was red. She shook her head in denial and chuckled nervously.  
"Even if _I were_ " started the songwright, attempting to convince herself "There is no way it's reciprocal, and there's only a slim chance we survive this thing that's coming."  
"Kali." said Ahri.  
"Plus, she told me demons don't really die, I mean unless they do the thing she did?"  
"Akali."  
"And, like, we kissed but it meant nothing, she just wanted to see my tattoo glow. Her lips are so soft though."  
Ahri looked at her with a glare that screamed _Stop it._  
"I really don't think she's into me this way."  
"Oh my god, AKALI." Ahri's voice boomed. She rolled her eyes.  
"I'm sorry."  
"In denial or not, you two really need to have an adult discussion about it. A date even." said Ahri playful but also deadly serious.  
Akali opened her mouth to say something in return, but Ahri shushed her. The songwriter looked at her like a sad pup.  
"Don't give me that look, _I am not going to let you ramble so quick this morning **especially**_ if you don't even want to listen to what I have to say in return."  
Akali nodded. Ahri was right and she knew it.  
"Eve is gone for the most of today anyways. And Senna should be here tomorrow by ten. Lucian called me earlier, he seemed to be quite a fan of yours by the way."  
Akali laughed a bit.   
"He seems like someone I could hang with." said the songwright.  
"He's a good guy yeah, hopefully he will join us when we figure out where Nocturne shows himself." declared Ahri more as a statement than anything else.  
"Hey Ahri, can I ask you something?" said the scruffy looking ninja ruffling her hair.  
"Yeah, sure."  
"How are you and Kai sleeping? No nightmares?"  
"I'm immune to him." said Ahri simply "I don't dream." she added a little bit sad.  
"What do you mean you don't dream, everyone does, you just don't-"   
"No Akali, sleep for me is like my brain goes offline. I do not have dreams at night. Or nightmares for that matter. And as for Kai, I can't really speak for her, but I think her symbiote is shielding her from a lot of things, Nocturne included."  
Akali sighed in relief. She really didn't want anybody to have the same sort of dream she had had. She remembered the noise of flesh rending and shuddered.  
Ahri got up and put a gentle hand on Akali's shoulder.  
"You should try and relax today. Maybe attempt the astral projection thing you talked about before." stated the Kitsune.  
Ahri's presence was soothing. Like a warm blanket around her shoulders after a day in the cold.  
Akali nodded, but still didn't think herself capable of achieving what her master had taught her years ago.  
"Ahri I was wondering." said Akali, thoughtful "Do you have anything that could help me relax, like... _really relax?_ " she asked.  
"Mh." the fox girl reached her hand to the side of her face, her eyes looking up, as if retracing a memory. "Kai's all about meditation, I'll ask her. But in case it doesn't work, I may have an alternative for you." she said with a smile.  
She hopped away joyously, motioning the rogue to follow her to the living room.  
Kai'sa was about to make coffee. She seemed serene despite the dire circumstances. Akali's jumpy mind found itself soothed by her presence.   
"Hey there Kai." said Akali from the bottom of the staircase, waving a hand at her.  
"Morning dum-dum, how was your night?"  
"Was okay." Akali gave Kai'sa a gentle smile "You making breakfast?"  
"I was about to make coffee yes, anything specific you wanna eat?" Kai'sa declared almost motherly.  
Akali thought about the fried egg she had made a few days ago, but she surprised herself with wanting sugary this morning.  
"I'll just get cocoa." said Ahri with a smile.  
"I think I want French toast." Akali declared from the couch, turning the TV on to get a quick glance at the news. "You don't have to make it though, I can make it myself." said Akali, refusing to bother her friend with something so specific.  
"Kali you can barely make instant Ramen yourself, I'll make you French toast." stated the dancer, no way for Akali to refuse.  
Ahri chuckled. Akali gave Kai'sa a forced pout. The girls laughed in unison.

They took breakfast in relative silence, the news people on the television were talking about a variety of world conflicts, but nothing seemed to have been happening in their city.  
One headline scrolling under the man gesticulating for the weather did catch Akali's eye though.  
 _Man disappears with museum artifact after police chase._  
She thought it odd that the news anchor didn't even speak about it, but then again, today's world wasn't about stories like this one.  
The songwriter realized she had left her phone in her room and excused herself to go fetch it.  
She came back to the living room, reading an article from online.  
"What'chu reading?" asked Kai'sa.  
"There was a robbery in a museum apparently, I'm trying to look for some more information." answered Akali, reading through the article.  
"I don't see why Nocturne would care for priceless artifacts." said Ahri as she sipped on her cup of cocoa. "He doesn't need anything to reach physical anyways."  
"Even if it's not him, Lucian did mention that he preferred other people to get their hands dirty." said Akali. "Better safe than sorry." she added with a shrug.  
Both her bandmates looked at her agreeing about the precaution but also saying that it was unnecessary to focus on everything going on, they needed their minds on what mattered.  
Akali's mind however could only go back to one thing. Evelynn. No matter how hard she tried to erase her image from her brain, Akali found herself drawn back.   
_*Eve, can you just come back now, I really need you around._ the songwright tried to contact the demon via thought.  
Nothing.  
 _*Why do you have to go when I need your help to understand things huh?_ she asked herself, still hoping for an answer.  
 _*Whatever, I don't even know why I bother, you clearly don't want to hang out right now._  
Her own thoughts were making her throat feel tight. Ahri's earlier sentence echoed in her memory. 

_I don't need to be Eve to smell how much you love her._

Was it really love? Or was this induced by whatever this gift was? Was she being manipulated by Evelynn, like the others she had in her grasp with the Allure? The questions kept coming, and none seemed to have an answer. It made Akali incapable of focusing on anything.  
Ahri and Kai'sa both noticed that something was gnawing at the back of the rogue's brain, but both elected to leave her be. Somehow they both had understood it was about Evelynn. She had this effect on people.  
However, it was extremely rare that it reached those lows. Akali paced around the penthouse for most of the day. She also drank, a lot. She was hoping for a release of some kind. Something to make her forget about her own conflicted mind.  
She picked up her phone.

 ****Akali: at 6.34pm****  
\- get ur ass back to the pentjhouse

 ****Evelynn: at 6.52pm****  
\- Have you been drinking?  
 ****Akali: at 6.53pm****  
\- no?  
 ****Evelynn:****  
\- You're a terrible liar.  
 ****Akali: at 6.54pm****  
\- i cant believe we havent fucked yet  
 ****Evelynn:****  
\- Keep drinking, see what that brings, darling.  
 ****Akali:****  
\- get your pretty ass home darling  
 ****Evelynn: at 6.55pm****  
\- I was on my way back, but if you're so eager, I might just come back tomorrow.  
 ****Akali:****  
\- just get home please i miss you

Evelynn didn't answer. She knew that her gift was going to make Akali almost _addicted_. It was clear in the way Akali was typing that she was inebriated. She heard her phone buzz a few more times. She ignored it.  
She was in a dark room. Only shadow surrounding her, like a puffing smoke she disappeared and reappeared in the underground garage of the penthouse.  
It was now around eight in the evening. And she let her mind open back up. Akali's mind came rushing in. A wave of angry drunken rambling making little to no sense flooded Evelynn's psyche.  
 _*Kali._ thought the demoness angrily with an eyeroll and a sigh.  
No answer, only more of this incomprehensible rambling. She hated when humans got drunk, it made everything more complicated to understand.  
She took the lift from the garage to the penthouse. The trip up seemed slow. Too slow. But she couldn't just appear from inside the penthouse, she refused to. Her Demon Shade had caused more issues than she wanted to admit. Had it been centuries ago, she probably would have not cared, but she had little room to do what she wished when so many eyes were on her.  
She didn't mind the attention, but it was sometimes bothersome to not be allowed to fully be herself.  
Yet she conceded that it was better to hide that part of herself away, as it often led to humans either dying on the spot, or just wanting to give themselves in the open.  
It had led to a multitude of tabloid gossips and this kind of attention while she fed on it, was bad for her image.  
Her image, she wondered what it was in Akali's eyes.

She opened the door. Akali half awake watching the news, the flask of vodka empty on the ground, and a half empty bottle of whiskey in her hand. The smell of alcohol on the rogue was so strong she had to cover her nose with the back of her hand.  
Kai'sa was trying to pry her hand open to remove the whiskey bottle.  
Evelynn looked at Akali both angry and in disbelief.  
"Let go." she spat.  
Akali's grip on the bottle neck released almost automatically as she heard the deep tone of Evelynn.  
"You." she said pointing at Ahri and Kai'sa "Go."  
The two girls skittered upstairs a bit frightened.  
Akali's eyes were hazy. She looked up, upset, at the demoness.  
"Wheredyaleave?" spouted Akali.  
"None of your business." Evelynn's tone was cold and harsh.  
"You and your goddamn secrets. I fucking hate that you know?" she shook her head for a while and decided to focus back on the television.  
"You're one to talk." said Evelynn angrily, her brows arched in disdain.  
"I hate that I don't even know you in whole Eve." said Kali, turning at her, finally upset enough that she would want to see her reaction.  
"And what good would that do you, hm?" spat the songstress.  
"I want to trust you I really do, but how can I trust someone that has secrets and won't share them."  
She was projecting. Of them both, Akali had been the deceptive one. She hadn't been fully truthful with Evelynn. Twice now. It wasn't lying, she just really didn't feel ready.  
"Kali." simply said Evelynn. "Sober up. We will have that chat tomorrow."   
"I don't wanna wait tomorrow." said Akali getting up in a swinging motion.  
"Akali. I said, sober up." declared Evelynn authoritatively.  
The songwright was now facing the songstress angrily.  
"Fuck you Eve." she said.  
Evelynn glared.   
"You want me to stop sharing secrets?" said the demon. "How about this hm?"  
Evelynn's body twisted and twirled into a shadowy mist. Her alabaster skin turned anthracite. She seemed bare of clothing. Her lashers usually clad in leather looked more like tails with a sharp pink thorn at the end. And her hair were now akin to a black and magenta flame, crackling with magical energy.  
To Evelynn's surprise, Akali didn't look like it was disturbing her. Evelynn took a step forward. Akali stabbed her eyes in the demoness' without flinching.  
"Am I supposed to be scared of you?" asked the drunk songwright in a rhetorical question.  
Evelynn clenched her jaw.  
"You don't scare me Eve. My own brain does." added Akali, her tone was neutral.  
"How?"  
"It never stops." she said. "I just want things to be easier..." her voice started quivering.  
Eve's anger suddenly subsided, and she grabbed the songwright in a tight embrace. Akali felt numb. Evelynn's embrace while a good surprise, didn't feel nearly as satisfying as she had hoped.   
"Go rest." Evelynn said, without leaving Akali a choice. "We will have a discussion about everything when you're sober." her voice was soft, like a children's lullaby.

* * *

She coughed and retched. Her temples were pulsating. Her head like a drum. Light was too bright, the world unstable and spinning.  
She rinsed her face with fresh water and cursed herself for having been drinking so much the previous day. It was a bit before ten, Senna was expected to be showing up soon.  
Akali slapped herself mentally to try and not feel like she had been kicked and thrown out of a moving vehicle. She cleared her throat and rubbed her right hand on her very obviously hangover face.  
She gave herself a veiled look in the bathroom mirror.  
 _*What the fuck is wrong with me._ she told herself.  
 _*Nothing is wrong with you, love._ she heard Evelynn's voice echo in her brain in a soft tone. Surprisingly soothing when any sound would make her temples hurt.  
She scratched her head, yawned and brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom. She then headed to Eve's room to steal a pair of black aviator sunglasses. Then put her hoodie up, and trotted slowly down the stairs.  
Kai'sa gave her a distant concerned look from the kitchen isle.  
"You look terrible." said Ahri.  
"Thanks." she grumbled.  
Evelynn snickered from the living room balcony that was towering the city. She was holding a crystal whiskey glass. Her metallic claws tapping softly on it. The clinking sound seemed aggressive to Akali.  
 _*Could you not?_ thought the songwriter.  
Evelynn didn't answer, nor by thought nor by voice. Instead she turned around and gave her a forced smile.  
She held the glass from the top, and put it loudly on the glass table in front of the television. The noise felt to Akali, like someone had hit her brain with a sledgehammer.  
"Breakfast?" asked Kai'sa warily.  
"Only tea." said Akali in a grumble.  
Evelynn looked smug in an armchair, her legs crossed and a hand to her face, her armored claws gently clattering in an almost arachnoid motion.  
Ahri and Kai'sa gave themselves a conniving look.  
At ten sharp, a knock on the door made Akali growl in pain. Evelynn was clearly getting a kick out of it, her face turning to Akali, screaming _I told you so._  
Ahri was the one to open the door and greet Senna in. Her face, like Lucian's was angular yet smooth at the edges. But her eyes were of an unnatural green hue.  
She was wearing stylish baggy trousers, probably from Yasuo's clothing line. A colorful hoodie with an inscription stapled on the left sleeve that Akali was too lazy to try and read.  
The songwright gave a wave to the girl.  
"Damn, you look like shit Kali." she said.  
"Yep."  
"Hangover." whispered Ahri.  
"Heard you fox." said Akali teasing, she regretted the smile almost instantly as it brought another pulse to her temples.  
"Senna." said Evelynn with a nod.  
"Evelynn." answered the girl in the same fashion.  
"Alright, Kali I'm sorry but I haven't got all day." said Senna with a gentle tap on her shoulder as she passed by.  
Akali winced, Senna was not the kind of girl to be extremely considerate of hangovers. But surprisingly the ninja admitted to herself that it was better this way. She needed to have that chat with Evelynn after all, and it would only be possible after she had managed to do whatever it was that Senna wanted to teach them.  
"Show me your mist." she asked Evelynn sharply.  
"Can't we have some privacy first?~" teased the demon.  
"Just do it." snapped Senna.  
"Fine." said the songstress a bit disappointed at the lack of game Senna was willing to play.  
Like the night prior, Evelynn's body twisted and twirled in a smoky mist. Her lashers like thorns, her skin as black as shadow, her eyes gleaming in a supernatural glow, and her hair flickering in a dark magenta.  
Ahri looked unfazed. Kai'sa's second skin clacked on her hands as a protective reflex, but she didn't move.  
Senna observed almost like a scientist would watch a chemical reaction. She seemed completely unfazed by the allure, or Evelynn's appearance.  
She walked forward to run a hand at the Lasher's thorny tip, which led to it cracking like a whip. Evelynn tutted and shook her head once, making it clear, no touching was allowed.  
Senna chuckled.   
"All right." declared the girl her head turning to Akali. "Get over here." she said. Her index wiggled in a motion that only meant Akali needed to stand next to Eve.  
She did as asked.  
"Let's try simple first." she declared, joining both Akali and Evelynn's hands.  
"What are you doing." said Akali.  
Evelynn's hand felt like molten metal in hers. But she didn't budge.  
"Focus on linking each other."  
"Soul link?" asked Evelynn in a distorted distant voice.  
Akali shuddered and wanted to put her hand to her temple, but Evelynn's grip was too strong.  
"Yes." simply answered Senna.  
Evelynn understood without issue. Akali on the other hand was confused.  
"How do you do that exactly?" said the rogue removing her hood with her free hand.  
Evelynn turned to look at her.  
"Do you feel her soul burning at yours?" asked Senna.  
"Her hands feel like I'm holding molten iron, so I assume yes."  
"That's it. Let it run down your body, and when it reaches your sternum, you should feel a tinge of cold." added Senna.  
"Let me lead." ordered Evelynn gently.  
Their eyes locked. For a second, Akali repressed the feeling of warmth in her lower back, but it soon became too difficult to ignore. She felt as if her whole body was igniting. She repressed a wince, but her face twisted in pain. She closed her eyes, let Evelynn lead, just like she asked. And when the warmth was almost unbearable, she felt the tinge of cold in her chest.   
Warmth crystallized in a fresh distant wave. She didn't dare open her eyes yet. She felt like floating. It was an oddly calming feeling.  
 _*Kali, look._ Evelynn's voice rang soft in her mind.  
The songwright opened her eyes. Her body, much like Evelynn's, was like a floating shadow. But instead of it being as black as Evelynn's her own soul shade was of a surprisingly light teal green mix.  
Was this spirit walking? It felt familiar and yet different. Suddenly she noticed something. Evelynn's chest was glowing. Like a spark of gold. She wondered what it was, but didn't push it.  
* _I'll tell you about it later._ Evelynn's voice chiming in her mind.  
They let go of each other's hand slowly. Like in rewind, the cold gave way to the burning sensation until Evelynn's sizzling skin left her hand.  
"Good good." said Senna.  
Akali jumped a bit. She almost forgot that Kai'sa, Ahri and her were watching this as it happened.  
"Now you know how to soul link to each other. Most likely will take you a while to be able to do it from a distance." she stated.  
"Why was I glowing green?" asked the songwright, shaking her right hand.  
"Was it? You just disappeared on our end." said Senna with a chuckle.  
" _Hold on, I turned invisible?_ "  
"Using demon mist, as well as the phantom shade, has weird effects on humans yes." she answered. "Also your eyes might have turned a different color. Just like mine are right now."  
" _That's sick._ " she said.  
Evelynn had turned back to her more human shape. To the delight of Kai'sa who finally let her second skin crackle away.  
Akali noticed her feeling of hangover was gone.   
"Senna, do you know anything about astral projection?" asked Akali.  
"No." she answered. "Yasuo might."  
"Fuck you're right."  
"Language." said Evelynn.  
"Okay, _Mom_." blurted Akali back, too quick for her to think.  
Evelynn arched both eyebrows and stared at Akali with guile and tease. Her eyes almost flickering like a gold flame. She run a tongue on her left fang and smirked.  
Ahri and Kai'sa both chuckled quietly at how scarlet Akali's face became.  
"All right. Now that you've got the basics, keep practicing." said Senna, oblivious to the scene.  
"My thanks, Senna." said Evelynn in a velvety tune.  
"I merely just opened a door." said the woman with a smile. Her uncanny green eyes stabbing Evelynn's.

Senna left with a wave and promised Akali to give a hello to Ekko. It was around noon. 

"I'm taking you out." said Evelynn.  
"Whichever way is fine by me." shrugged Akali with a teasing smile.  
Eve bit her lip, Akali didn't seem to notice.  
Ahri sighed. She could see how oblivious both the girls were to the other's feelings. Eve was never very understanding of what love was. And Akali was just in complete denial. She smiled at them.  
"Well you two go!" the fox eared girl yapped joyously gesturing at the door. "We'll keep researching astral projection for you Kali." she added looking at the dancer who nodded in agreement.  
  
Evelynn grabbed Akali's hand. As they were out the door of the penthouse, she made the rogue twist and turn against the opposite wall. Her wrist up above her head.   
_*A reward for how well you did._ the demoness' voice was mellow and sweet in Akali's psyche.  
She ran her claws on her jaw to make Akali's face turn, so that her neck would be exposed.  
She plunged her fangs in. Her tongue pressed on her jugular with passion. She could almost taste her blood though the bite. Yet skin didn't break.   
Akali's knees were weak. She didn't expect Eve to do something like this at this moment, she was completely taken aback.  
 _*I thought--_ she started thinking, but her mind went blank. A pleasure filled sigh passed her lips.  
The rogue could feel Evelynn's smile on her neck now.  
" _Now, let's have lunch, yes?~_ "  
The songstress was enjoying this all too much. Akali mustered what was left of her composure to swallow the knot in her throat, and nodded.

Akali didn't remember the trip to the garage. It was like her mind blacked out after receiving the bite.  
Her senses only finally came back when she ran her fingers on the leather of the onyx Lamborghini seat.  
"You're so extra." said Akali.  
"Millenia of wealth, would be a shame to not use it, wouldn't it?" her lips curved in a sly smile.  
"Good point." conceded the rogue with a chuckle. She bit her bottom lip without really thinking.  
Evelynn knew, how bad Allure could take to humans.   
What she didn't know however, was how what Akali wanted, she wanted too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was expecting this chapter to be a bit longer, but i elected it was better to cut it in half. Next one should come soon. <3


	7. Your Wish Is My Command

The purr of the motor made the hair on her neck stand, like static electricity. As if thunder was about to strike right on top of her head, she could hear the beats of the music filling her mind with more questions. She gave a glance at the demon behind the wheel. She knew how to control the animal like the most skilled of keepers. Another roar from the beast under the hood. The onyx leather, custom modified with streaks of dark violet looking surreal as the world was becoming a blur when the woman pressed on the gas pedal.  
Like two magnets gravitating within each other's range she felt pulled towards that shade who haunted her days. Everything was like a casual reminder of who she was, what she did to her brain.  
She wanted. Every. Single. Inch. Of her.

"Kali, hold yourself. We're having lunch." declared Eve in her casual mellow tone. Her look said otherwise, like she wanted to eat Akali whole, not the lunch.  
"Keep your eyes on the road." said the rapper in a voice she didn't know she had. It was so deep it seemed to have been coming from within the earth.  
"Scared?" said the songstress.  
"Not at all." answered Akali. "I would trust you with my life." she added.  
Rough honesty. Evelynn felt her heart jump but paid it no mind.  
" _Maybe you shouldn't.~_ " said Evelynn with a toothy grin.  
Somehow the car went even faster on the highway. If anything, it was surprising nobody had reported the offense yet.  
"Okay Eve, point across." said Akali when Evelynn zoomed past a car, close, too close.   
The speed counter was nearing the one hundred and thirty five miles an hour. Their bodies felt heavy in the seats, like swallowed in the leather.  
She eventually slowed down. A hearty laugh came out of her perfect mouth. Somehow she found it exhilarating to toy with her mortality. Not that she wanted to put herself and Akali in danger, but anything new to her had this entrancing feeling to it. She just couldn't help it.  
"What was that about?" said Akali, suddenly capable of thinking again. Adrenaline from the speed of the car made her hands shaky. _Good way shaky, but shaky nonetheless._  
"Oh don't give it to me, we both know you enjoy this just as much as I do, love." said Evelynn with a sly smile.  
"Where are you taking me for lunch anyways?" asked Akali, finding it hard to focus on anything else than the sharp profile of her bandmate.  
"There's this restaurant by the beach a bit farther off. They make _killer_ soba, or so I'm told."   
"Aren't you scared of people eyeing us?" asked the rapper, suddenly aware that tabloids would love to get their claws on this.  
"Voyeurism is not something I am into, no. I also paid the owner to give us the whole place for a few hours." stated Evelynn as if it was ever so normal, both to talk about kinks and about spending way too much money.  
" _Jesus Christ Eve._ " sighed Akali with an eyeroll. "Everything in great style huh?"  
"Did you take a good *look at me*, and thought I could _ever_ not be doing things in style? Honey, you hurt me." a fake pout adorned her face.  
Akali laughed. Her cheeks reddened but she ignored it.  
"Okay you win."  
Evelynn chuckled. Her metallic claws rattled and she poked teasefully at Akali's side. She turned her head and gave the songwriter a quick wink.

Not long after their _extremely fast_ trip, they arrived at destination. The sea breeze was gentle and harsh at the same time. Akali breathed in and felt herself relax at the smell of nature.  
"The setting is pretty nice." she said to Eve.  
"You seem to be enjoying this." said the songstress, pushing her sunglasses further up her nose as she exited the expensive sports car.  
"I used to love taking walks in the forest when I was younger. I just enjoy the peacefulness of nature." declared Akali with a slight shrug.  
Here it was again, that brutal honesty. Eve liked it, it felt more real than anything she had had the chance to get with a human before.  
"Get in. All you can eat." said the songstress opening the door of the restaurant.  
Akali greeted the owner with a respectful bow and removed her shoes at the entrance. It was a traditional Japanese restaurant, like the ones she had gone to in her youth.  
Evelynn imitated her. And they both followed a young man who indicated them to sit a low table with a view on the beach. The restaurant was both traditional and looking modern. It gave it a very _something-that-Evelynn-would-like_ vibe. Akali seemed genuinely happy.   
_*Do you like it?_ Evelynn's voice chimed.  
She answered with an energic nod and a heartfelt smile.  
  
For an appetizer, the waiter brought them a plate with what looked like smoked bonito, chives and sesame seeds dotting the red of the fish meat. Akali looked at Eve with her softest gaze yet.  
It seemed to crack at the songstress' icy walls, like a burning red flame.   
Akali pinched a piece of fish between her chopsticks, she then ate it in a bite. The flesh of the fish was both melting under the warmth of her mouth and crispy on one side. It was absolutely delicious. And while Kai'sa's own work was good, the quality of the fish in the restaurant was undeniably better.  
She hurried up and grabbed another piece of fish to point at Evelynn with her chopsticks, the fish hanging from the tip of the bamboo was like falling apart.  
Eve was a bit surprised that the rogue wanted to hand feed her, but she delected in putting her tongue out to grab the food, teasing Akali with the warmest of looks. Akali however had only her mind set to make her enjoy the food, which in hindsight, was probably the better decision. They still needed to talk about a variety of things.   
Just like Akali, Evelynn found herself to enjoy the piece of fish, the smoky flavor was perfect, her head tilted to the side, she let out a low humming delighted sound.  
"Right?" said Akali, understanding this as a _This is so good._  
Evelynn wasn't necessarily the kind to be a foodie. But she reveled in the creative ways that humans would make all those flavors appear in a bite.  
Lunch was beyond amazing. The soba noodles were served with fried vegetables and pork belly. Akali was on cloud nine, never had she eaten something that hit all the right spots like this did.  
Evelynn was seemingly equally satisfied with food. Even though she let Akali slurp on the broth of her own bowl noisily.  
After the main dish, they both requested ginger tea, to help with digesting, and asked if it was okay to sit outside on the little wooden terrace. Of course the waiter nodded in agreement.  
The beach seemed pretty deserted. It was a week day after all, and while it was still warm out, it wasn't a 'perfect beach day'.   
Holding their granite cups, their hands warming up to the side of the rock, Evelynn spoke first.  
"I'm sorry about yesterday." she said, almost unnaturally as she forced a neutral tone.  
"For what? I was a drunk asshole." answered Akali sipping on the tea, only to jolt back as she burned her tongue.  
Evelynn chuckled. Akali's honesty was something that she thought was endearing.   
"Still. I should have known better than to run off without warning." said Evelynn.  
"Yeah, by the way where did you go?" Akali's eyes were distinctly stabbed in the songstress'.  
"Akali, I told you-" she started.  
" _Enough with the secrets Eve._ " her voice was unwavering.  
It took an awkward minute, but Evelynn finally answered.  
"There are a few things I do, I would rather you not find out." her voice was soft, fragile almost.  
"Lynn..."  
"It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's that I do not think I'm ready to go down that path." she added, composure slowly building back up.  
Akali nodded. Clenching her jaw made the nerve on the side of her face pop. She didn't want to agree, she wanted to know, but she also didn't want to do anything she would regret.   
The rapper decided this was the correct time to ask about the golden shine from within Eve's chest.  
"So about that thing." she said  
"The gold in my chest?" interrupted Evelynn.  
"Yeah."  
"I'm not too sure about it, it just appeared the day I gave you my gift." she answered simply, taking a slow sip of the hot ginger tea.  
"Do you think it has something to do with me?" inquired Akali.  
"If I had to guess, I would say that's also why your heart looked like black and crimson fire now." her right clawed index was scraping the rock of the cup slowly.  
" _My heart looked like- what?_ "  
"I am not very knowledgeable about why souls change appearance, but I think me sharing this part of me, definitely woke something in you."  
Akali's mind was racing. She attempted to take a sip from the ginger tea again, this time she didn't burn herself.  
"I am fairly certain at this point Kali, that your blood hunting capacities are from a place deep down within the earth." started Evelynn finishing up the tea in a gulp.  
"Was that where you went?"  
Evelynn glared at the songwright, surprised she could guess.   
"Actually yes." she answered.  
"See that wasn't so complicated now, was it, _darling_?" Akali's tone was both teasing and angry.  
"Nothing is as easy as it seems with you, _honey_." teased the demon in return.  
Akali huffed.  
The tension that had previously dropped during lunch was now building back up. Akali remembered how taken aback she had been by the bite Eve gave her.  
She never really expected the demon to do what she did. But this bite, and what she had said, was definitely like a punch in the gut.   
"And what does it mean?" blurted Akali after having stared at her bandmate for what seemed to be hours.  
"I have no idea." she responded. "As it so happens, that's to understand things better that I went _there_."  
Evelynn shivered, or maybe shuddered? Akali wasn't sure. Whatever this place was, it wasn't somewhere Eve liked being.  
"You're not going to explain any further are you?" tried the rapper bitterly.  
"I would if I had anything more to say, darling."  
"Right."  
Their eyes locked again. This magnetic feeling happened once more, it was impossible to resist. Kali sighed, her heartbeat started to increase, she could feel it in her throat. Like a reminder, the image of Eve leaning forward to kiss her made its way back in her head.  
 _*If you want it, I will not stop you._ Evelynn's voice was low pitched, it felt like a fur coat.  
 _*Get out of my head._ ordered Akali.  
 _*Or what?~_ she teased back.  
 _*Fuck around and find out, I dare you._

* * *

"I wonder how their date is going." declared Ahri sipping mindlessly on Boba tea they had ordered.  
"They're probably fighting as we speak." said Kai'sa with a shrug.  
" _Fighting._ Riiiight."   
Both the girls giggled, knowing perfectly well that it was most unlikely.   
Ahri looked at the dancer tenderly. It was a nice break from the other two's constant tension. They could finally relax for once.  
Kai'sa thought the same. She loved her friends to bits, but sometimes they could be a bit too much for her, and she was glad that she could stay in the penthouse without them being around from time to time. She was a bit worried about Akali however, considering what the rapper had told her, it seemed only normal to be concerned.   
"I thought we were supposed to look for info on spirit walking or something?" asked Kai'sa making herself at ease on the couch as she turned the TV on.  
"I called Yasuo, he said that your meditation processes should be enough for her to do it. And if not, he's gonna drop by in a few, he said something about a _relaxant_?"   
"You mean drugs?" asked the dancer inquisitively.  
"I suppose that does fall in the category." Ahri said, pensive bringing her hand on her chin.  
 _Oh my god Ahri, what are you doing..._ thought Kai'sa with a repressed laugh.  
"I do think we should maybe remove alcohol from Akali's grasp for a while though." said the dancer, visibly preoccupied with the state of her friend.  
"I think she's fine. I've seen what Eve does to people. She's taking it surprisingly well." stated Ahri coming to sit down next to Kai'sa, lifting her arm to put it around her own shoulder.  
"Maybe just put the whiskey and the vodka on the top shelf or something."  
Ahri laughed. Kai'sa mentally congratulated herself.

They both debated on what to watch, until they got interrupted by someone knocking at the door.   
"Yas!" said Ahri recognizing the man as she opened the door. She gave him a warm hug which he didn't expect.  
"Hello to you too, foxy." he said, pushing her gently away to ruffle her hair with his hand.  
"Hey there." said Kai'sa giving him a wave.  
"How you doing?"  
He was surprisingly laid back. His face was rugged, his eyebrows naturally pointing downwards giving him a slight angry look. His smile however was soft and well intentioned.  
"So I hear you're bringing us drugs to feed our hyperactive ninja hm?" joked Kai'sa.  
"You make it sound so bad if you put it like that, damn." he said with a laugh.  
"What's the kick then?" inquired the dancer.  
"Well I'm not a professional, but if meditation doesn't do it in full, those will help."  
He pulled three green orbs the size of marbles from his jacket pocket. They seemed to contain a swirling mist.  
"Kali will know what they are if you show them." he declared.  
"How-" started Ahri.  
"We both know Shen for different reasons." said Yasuo, unwilling to go into details. "Tell her I said hello."  
"You don't want to stay around a bit?" asked Kai'sa.  
"I would if I could. I just happened to be around when Ahri called earlier." he simply answered. "Press conference."  
The two girls nodded. Kai'sa insisted he took some of the leftovers cookies she had baked. Ahri gave him another hug, though this time he expected it, and he was off.

Ahri grabbed the orbs from the counter top, and put them in a small jar. The rattling noise they made, sounded as if she had dropped marbles in there.  
After running upstairs to her room to put them in a secure spot, she hopped giddily downstairs to meet back with Kai'sa on the couch. They finally agreed to watch some series, but Ahri really only wanted to use that as a good excuse to fall asleep in Kai'sa's arms.  
The dancer was used to it. It was common for them to end up like this, and she didn't mind it. It was like an unspoken ritual they both had. The presence of the other always made them feel right at home.   
Ahri nuzzled her head in Kai'sa's neck, half asleep.  
"You smell nice." said the fox-eared girl in a relaxed sigh.

* * *

The demon grabbed the ninja by the shoulder in a swift motion. They had exited the restaurant only a few minutes ago and were now standing next to the expensive car.   
Akali's heart was racing. She knew what she wanted, but it didn't stop the rush.   
_*You're just going to do that here? And I thought I was the eager one._ thought the songwright.  
 _*You-_ Evelynn thought. She interrupted her thoughts with a loud tut.  
 _*I said get out of my head._  
 _*Make me._  
Their eyes were linked. Just like two unstoppable forces colliding, Akali moved forward, bringing herself only a breath away from Evelynn's nose.  
She grabbed her hands, let the warmth fill her until the cold snap. In a surprising amount of composure, Akali leaned forward and pressed her lips on Evelynn's.  
It was both warm and cold all at once. Akali's knees felt weak. The demoness's heart fluttered. She had not expected the rogue to impose herself this way. She smiled and looked at Akali in the soul link. Her golden gaze could still see her, contrary to anyone else who wasn't attuned to her demon shade.  
 _*Did it work?_ Akali's mind dared.  
"Nope." declared Evelynn, making the songwriter release her. "Car, now."  
In a quick snap, Akali reappeared out of the soul link. She obeyed and got in the car without any fuss.  
When both doors were closed, Evelynn pressed a button on the side of the wheel that made all the car windows turn smoky black. _Of course she would have something like that added to the car._ Akali laughed nervously.  
"Do it again." said Evelynn grabbing Akali's hand to pull her closer.  
The feeling of molten metal in her hand seemed even more prevalent, as if Evelynn's soul got warmer. Akali suddenly realized that Evelynn asked her to kiss her again. She felt panicky, she hadn't thought this far ahead.  
"Uhhh-" Akali was unsure.  
" _Do I need to get out to put the pieces of your composure back together?~_ " teased Evelynn.  
Nothing made sense to Akali anymore, and in a reckless abandon, she kissed her again, more aggressively. Eve was kissing back this time, with eagerness but also something akin to passion.  
Akali felt the demon smiling against her lips. And before she could ask what she was smiling about, she nicked her bottom lip with a playful fang.  
"Ow." said the raven crested girl pulling away.   
"I am not finished with you yet." growled Evelynn, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket with one hand.   
Almost instantly, Akali gave her neck, as if Evelynn was puppeteering her. The rogue's eyes sealed shut. She was expecting a bite, but instead a complete different feeling which stole her a moan, happened. She opened her eyes as quickly as she had closed them, her heart was loud in her ears.  
Evelynn was giving her a hickey. She was certain of it now. Surprisingly quick-witted, she pushed her away and shook her head.  
 _*Bad idea Eve._ her own thought seemed quiet, like drugged.  
 _*I won't leave a mark, I promise you._  
She went back to the rapper's neck in a swift move. A shiver ran along Akali's spine as she felt Evelynn suck in her skin. Pressing precisely on the nerve with delicate force, she could feel the demon's teeth without them piercing skin. Another moan left her mouth without her wanting it to.  
Her tongue was resting on her jugular. She could feel the blood pulsing through her veins faster now.  
She pulled away slowly, to face the girl again, a breath away from another kiss.  
Akali's breathing was ragged, needy. She chased at Evelynn's lips, but the demon refused to give them with a sadistic smile.  
"That's quite enough for now." declared Evelynn, pushing Akali back in the leather seat playfully, and turning to face the wheel.  
Akali rolled her eyes and whipped her head back on the leather. She let out a forceful blow out of her mouth to attempt to calm herself down. It made Evelynn laugh.  
"Get us home then." said Akali with a side glare.  
" _Your wish is my command.~_ "  
The phrase made Akali growl in frustration.  
"You're the devil, you know that?"  
"I'd like to think so, yes." she pressed on the ignition, the motor roaring softly as she backed up to turn the car around.

* * *

Shadow. Everything black and white. Except for one spot of blue, flickering like a flame. A soft swirling smoke rose from the ground. The air was thick of malevolence. The rattle of bones cracking. The disturbing mushy sound of flesh.  
Something out of the shadows. From nothing, he was standing. His shoulders wide, fit but not all muscle. Like a loving shade, the smoke tightened around his bare body, creating fabric. His head tilted, he rolled his shoulders, accommodating himself in his new form.  
His hair short and slick on his head was a mix of black and blue. His skin alabaster, almost ghostly, shining in the dark.  
He let out a slow hum. His voice was like a whisper, cutting through the shade like an arrow, shifting through it.  
Finally, he opened his eyes. Uncanny, eerie blue. Electric. They were glowing in the absolute darkness. He seemed to revel in his new senses. He took a look at his hands, his arms. Capable of seeing himself even without a hint of light.  
He brought his slender fingers to his emaciated face. A disturbing smile creeped on his pale lips, his teeth as perfect as could be, as white as snow.  
Tightening his grip to judge his own newfound force, he cracked his knuckles. The sound echoed in the nothingness surrounding him. He chuckled in delight.  
"So that's what it is like."  
His voice like air, soft yet cold. His tone was like metal on ice.  
"Most, delectable."  
He took a step forward. His clothing flowed lightly, just as the smoke was. He chuckled.  
"Now, now. Where to start."   
The shadow surrounding him disappeared in a slow flash. Nocturne rose a hand to protect his eyes. The smoke in which he was clad made a pair of sunglasses appear on his nose out of thin air.  
His hands were dressed in silver rings with onyx rocks. On his right middle finger, one claw ring with a dark sapphire. On his left wrist, a black armband made of leather. The contrast with his light skin almost hurt to look at.  
 _"Time to meet up with an old friend"_  
In a puff of smoke, he was gone. Whatever he had in mind was going to bring pain. Whoever it was he was going to meet was probably going to die. 

He materialized in a second-rate looking apartment. It seemed like nobody was currently living there at first glance. But the steam of a cup of tea on the nearby table soon broke that illusion.  
The young man that came in the room where he had just appeared dropped his plate of food when he saw him. The clattering sound of porcelain ringing like fear to the Shade's ears.  
"Good evening, Tommen."

* * *

When they finally got home, Akali could feel the lingering bite of unease. She didn't really know where it came from. Evelynn on the other hand was beaming.  
It seemed only normal for them to be happy, but Evelynn noticed that the rapper was feeling off.  
"What's on your mind?" she declared.  
"I'm not sure..." started the rogue, bringing a hand on the back of her head. "Do you ever feel like your happiness comes at a weird timing?" she added.  
Evelynn didn't really know that feeling as something she had experienced, but she knew it as something she fed off of.  
Fear.  
She understood all too quickly what it meant. And cursed mentally for realizing that whatever she had managed to achieve with the rogue was coming undone because of her counterpart.  
"He did it." she declared, her eyes were glowing angrily.  
"What?" said Akali, refusing to understand.  
"Nocturne." her voice as sharp as a razor pronouncing his name.  
She felt disgusted to only imagine what he would look like.  
Past her would have probably enjoyed meeting him. But today, the idea that another one of them would have managed to reach physical, was only bringing hatred and a distinct nauseating feeling.   
She was the only one who was worthy of praise, and a demonic ego needs that praise, a lot more than what humans usually did.  
Akali shuddered. She suddenly felt wary, like her flight or fight response was constantly on the brink of being triggered.  
The demon woman next to her gave her a soft look, like she was a lioness protecting her cub.  
"I won't let him lay one finger on you, darling." she said authoritative.  
Akali while she appreciated the gesture, felt slightly irked at the tone. She didn't belong to anyone.   
"We should probably go upstairs." said Akali.  
They had stayed in the car in the garage for maybe a good twenty minutes now. Their eyes locked for five more. A variety of unsaid feelings rushed in Akali's throat to make a knot. She pinched her lips, and hoped she managed to shut her thoughts out.  
Considering that Eve paid her no mind and exited the car, she assumed she did.

When Evelynn opened the penthouse door, she saw Kai'sa and Ahri sleeping together on the couch. She cleared her throat loudly. It made the dancer jump and awkwardly move away from the kitsune.  
Akali chuckled at the sight.  
Ahri's ears perked up in surprise. She looked at her watch.  
"You're back late." she stated arching her eyebrows.  
Akali was already going on her way upstairs. She needed a break. And she wanted to take a bath. Even if it was only two in the afternoon, she needed to relax.  
"Kali, we have to attempt meditating." said Kai'sa from the couch.  
"I need a bath, to relax. Eve will explain."  
 _*With all the details?_ the demonic purr shook her to the core.  
 _*You know what, up to you._  
Akali didn't want to stay around and find out what Eve was going to say. She rushed upstairs, grabbed fresh clothes, a bandolier and two knives. She thought about going to the vault to get her Kama. She had not seen the blade in over three years.  
She came back downstairs and got in the bathroom. Let the water run to fill up the bathtub and dropped a hefty amount of lavender cologne in the water.   
The smell instantly made her feel more relaxed. She was still on edge because of what she knew, but at least now she didn't have Eve's eyes stabbed on her, or Ahri and Kai'sa asking questions.  
For a minute she considered, that she could just take her bike and go in the mountains for a while, by herself. She interrupted that thought to undress. She looked at her neck for a moment, running her fingers mindlessly on her skin, trying to find a mark, a dent, anything really. Nothing. Eve had not lied.  
She smiled thinking about their exchange. Whatever it was, she enjoyed it.   
She dipped her foot in the warm lavender water. And as she submerged herself, her muscles relaxed.

"He's back." said Evelynn.  
"Are you sure?" asked Ahri with a concerned look.  
The songstress nodded.  
"We might not have time for meditation then." declared Kai'sa to the gumiho.  
"I'll go get them."   
"What are you two talking about?" asked Evelynn.  
"Yasuo brought _drugs or something_." answered Kai'sa with a shrug.  
Eve's eyes narrowed. Her mouth opened, questioning.  
"Don't look at me like that, he said Akali would know. I have no idea what those things are."  
In a minute or so, Ahri was back downstairs with the green orbs filled jar. She put it on the counter.  
Evelynn curious opened it up and grabbed one with the tips of her metallic claws.  
The green mist inside was twirling like ink in water. It looked a lot like Akali's soul link. She didn't know what it was, but assumed it was something to help with _spirit walking_.  
 _*Darling, I know you wanted some peace and quiet, but don't take too long._ thought Eve.  
 _*I left like five minutes ago, give me a break._ Akali's response felt abrasive.  
 _*Ahri just brought marble sized green misty orbs._ Evelynn's voice echoed gently.  
A few minutes of nothing.  
 _*Fine, I'll be there in ten.  
_ Eve chuckled quietly.  
"So how was your date?" asked Ahri inquisitively.  
" _How was yours?~_ " teased the songstress.  
Kai'sa's face turned scarlet, but Ahri didn't notice. As oblivious as ever the gumiho just wiggled her ears in confusion.  
"It was nice. Food was amazing actually." added Evelynn with a smirk.  
"Are you two a thing now?" said Ahri grabbing something from the fridge to snack on.  
"Ahri." said Kai'sa, anticipating an outburst from Eve.  
"What?"  
Evelynn laughed. She however, dodged the question. But reminded herself of the taste of Akali's neck.  
She ran a tongue on her lips.  
"We need to plan something, in case he attacks." said Kai'sa changing the subject. She wanted to know about Akali and Eve, but she also didn't want Eve to pry into her own insecurities.  
The demoness understood that perfectly well and smirked.  
"He won't."  
"How can you be so sure?" asked Ahri.  
"His methods revolve around destroying the human psyche." said the demon woman in a surprisingly calm tone. "When he comes, if he does, we're all going to have _hell of a trip_."  
Kai'sa's second skin crackled. Ahri's tail wagged nervously.   
"Even you?" asked Kai'sa.  
"Particularly me." said Eve, still calm.  
"Why?"  
"I'm the biggest threat he's got." she said it without believing it. Somehow, she knew that Akali was probably the key to all of this. She had speculated that the blood hunt was an underlying reject from something infernal. And even if she had no proof of it, her gut was usually right.

A few minutes later, Akali showed up. She looked relaxed on the outside, but her mind was bustling. If Yasuo had brought the Clouds, then she could definitely contact Shen.  
She sat down at the table like the others did.   
"So what are those exactly Kali?" asked Kai'sa.  
"Cloud mists." she said. "They are like my smoke bombs, but more _magic_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so this chapter took a bit longer than i thought to write, i wanted to get it good, with a bunch of bounces back and forth. Like my summary explained, this is *at this moment* that realization starts hitting them but dont think for one second that I'm going to go all in right away.  
> Nocturne has other plans heheheh  
> Anyways I hope you enjoyed the read, I'll try to update for the next one soon, since its already in the works!


	8. A Taste of Terror

Akali grabbed one of the green pearls between her index and thumb, and looked at it, the light of the ceiling LED passing through it. It looked almost alive, like a part of the ocean was captured in this marble sized ball.  
She cocked her head to the left and kept staring at the misty waves from inside the orb. She had not seen Cloudmist Pearls in a while. She always thought that they were nice things to look at, hypnotizing twirls and ripples of this strange smoke.  
They were very interesting pieces of magic, you had to squeeze them in your hand instead of throwing them like smoke bombs. It was unfortunately a solitary experience. One orb per person. Or at least this was what she had been told for years, so she didn't question.  
The gentle sway of the green mist inside was soothing to watch. It felt a bit like you were slowly getting swallowed by it the more you watched.

"So, how do we use those?" asked Kai'sa.  
" _You_ , do not." answered Akali maybe a bit more dry than she expected. "I have to do this alone."  
"Why can't we help you with this?" attempted the void chosen, her voice conveyed this _I just really want to help._ unwavering feeling.  
"It's not that you can't. It's that I need to meet Shen on my own." said the rogue, her eyes looking dim.  
"We should plan what you need to ask him first. If he is as knowledgeable as you say." pointed out Evelynn, helping herself to a glass of water.  
Ahri nodded vigorously. Kai'sa did the same.  
The four girls discussed the subject, and in something close to fifteen minutes, they came to an easy conclusion. The biggest question that Akali needed to ask Shen, was, would he be willing to join them in their plan to put a temporary end to Nocturne's schemes?  
Maybe he would even know a way to prevent him from being a threat to humanity, who knew?  
Akali felt sad at the prospect, she knew Shen wasn't one for direct action like she was. He had _his own ways_ which was partially why she preferred going through her passion to be an multifaceted artist, rather than explore her more regulated side.  
Her rap and her art was bringing that wild mind of hers at peace way easier than the four hours of meditation every day as well as intensive martial training that Shen put her through. He kept repeating mantras about how the world needs to stay in balance. Which drove the rogue crazy. She didn't understand what meditation would do for balance.   
Her art was her. The training she had undergone in her youth, was part of a bigger plan. Laid out both by her mother and by someone called Kusho she actually never met. Shen was only just her superior in ranks, as well as sort of father figure, even though he was nothing easy. Mayym, Akali's mother, knew very well her daughter had talent in the ways of the shinobi. But her wild side was what drove her away. Shen understood it, even if she was talented he didn't want to force her into doing anything she didn't want to do. Her mother on the other side, pushed above and beyond. Forgetting that before being a tool, Akali was her daughter. At first the rogue wanted to please her mother, looking for validation. But the hurt Mayym created, by asking too much, always too much, made Akali suffer.  
Until the day she left.  
Akali's heart was filling itself with sadness and wariness. She had no desire to see her mother. Since the day she had left the dojo, it was like her family didn't exist anymore. Her mother refused to talk to her, Shen was distant but mostly only because he never was very keen on technology.  
The dread of the idea was insidious and Evelynn felt it, harsher than anything she had felt on Akali before.  
"Are you okay, darling?" asked the mellow tone of the demon.  
Akali lifted her head in her direction. She shrugged with a sad hum.  
"I'm not looking forward to seeing my mother is all." the rogue's voice was low.  
The Cloudmist Pearl rolled in her hand.  
 _*I wish you could accompany me._ she thought giving Evelynn a pinched smile.  
 _*I'll be there. Right with you, if you let me._ answered Eve's voice in her skull.  
 _*I have to do this alone._  
 _*I didn't mean physically, silly._  
Akali's smile became more genuine and satisfied. She almost forgot that she shared something new now. She would _never_ be alone anymore. A touch of panic about the implications this had made her clench her jaw.  
Apprehension blossomed in her mind. Would the soul link she had with Evelynn be visible from the spirit walk?  
She tried her best to forget about that thought.  
"Okay, okay, okay... _Okay._ " the ninja let out a forceful blow out of her mouth. "My body will have to be taken care of." she declared as calmly as she humanly could.  
"You can count on us." said Ahri with a decided nod.  
"Anything else we should know?" asked Evelynn.  
"Not to my knowledge no."

The rogue laid down on the couch as comfortably as she could. It was difficult at first, everything felt odd and uncomfortable, until she put her back at rest on the softest pillow around. She tried to focus on bringing her mind at peace. It was difficult. Spirit walking, even when started with the Cloudmist, was something that could be broken. It was similar to dreaming to an extent, except your soul was actually moving around to meet with others.   
She looked at the green pearl again. Three tries. She only had three tries.   
One, two, three slow breaths. She felt her heartrate slow. She closed her eyes. Something was gnawing at the back of her mind. She wondered if...  
 _*Could you do me a favor Eve?_ asked Akali's voice in the songstress's mind.  
 _*Tell me._  
 _*Remove your claw rings and put your hands on my shoulders._ she demanded.  
 _*What's the magic word?_  
 _*Please, Eve._  
She didn't see it, but Akali heard the smirk on Evelynn's lips. She then heard the soft metallic rattle of the rings being removed one by one from her fingers. As Evelynn put her hands on Akali's shoulders, the rogue breathed again. One, two, three slow breaths.  
The warmth of her hands was soothing. Her heartrate turned uneven for a while but soon went back to a regular pace. She let the warmth fill her up, just as if she was going to soul link. But instead, let the feeling linger.  
When Evelynn's thumbs started mindlessly rolling on her shoulders, the rogue felt her heartbeat jump a bit again, only to finally be completely relaxed.  
One, long breath out of Akali's mouth. She cracked the Cloud mist pearl in a strong pinch. The mist puffed and slowly creeped up her arm, like ink slithers on a fresh canvas. Her shoulder soon covered in the green, she opened her mouth to let it reach inside. The feeling wasn't nearly as bad as it looked. It was as if she was ingesting some alien material.  
Ahri was looking concerned. _What did I just give my friend?_ she thought to herself. Kai'sa was worried too but trusted Akali enough. If she had taken the trip then it meant she knew what it would do, in full.  
When all the green had disappeared inside the rogue's throat, Akali sighed softly. Closed her mouth. Swallowed what seemed to be the thickest liquid she ever drank. A wave of dark blue took her. And she lost consciousness.

The world around was a lot darker. Like covered in shade. Still recognizable but definitely different. She looked at her hands, they were almost shining, a color between the same green from the pearl and light teal turquoise. She looked at her right arm where the tattoo would show a tail of the dragon. The usually pale grey body of the serpent was now of an extremely vivid magenta. Only the gold ink stayed that color. She remembered that her hair also had the magenta tint, it made her smile.  
The rogue had forgotten how odd the spirit sight was. It was like the world was in a picture negative.  
She got up from the couch, leaving her body in good care. She looked at Evelynn. She didn't see the glint of gold like in the soul link when she could see her. It seemed like clothes would still shade souls to an extent.  
 _*You can let go of my shoulders now._ thought Akali.  
She saw Evelynn release the pressure from her shoulders. It was weird to see herself on the couch when she was standing next to it.  
 _*Also tell Ahri and Kai'sa that it looks worse than it is. I'm all fine._  
She could see Evelynn speak to the two other girls, but she couldn't hear her voice. Suddenly she felt a bit scared.   
_*Can you say anything in my mind?_ Akali's voice rang softly.  
 _*I can I think?_ Evelynn's voice sounded distant, as if veiled by a thick fog.  
Akali felt herself relax at the fact she could hear her at least.  
 _*Listen, it seems like it's going to be harder for me to hear you unless you focus. There might be interferences._  
It felt a bit like static on an old TV. She saw Eve close her eyes and assumed she was going to attempt to focus. For some unknown reason she believed that touching her while in spirit form would help strengthen the link, so she could feel her soul through hers. And so she did.

The songstress felt a fresh touch on her shoulders, even though nobody was there. She understood it was Kali, and she focused on that. She had gotten used to hearing her thoughts, and she didn't want to let the rogue be alone in this obviously difficult task. It seemed to Evelynn that Akali wasn't much the one to enjoy an introspective trip. And of course she was right. The rogue despised going down that rabbit hole, it was painful and definitely something she had avoided doing for years.  
Using all her core, Evelynn found something to hook her mind to. It was the heartbeat of Akali on the couch. Regular, steady, at ease.  
She let the thumping noise rhythm a tempo which became the beat at which she sent her voice.  
 _*Is this any better?_ said Evelynn's voice clear and almost louder than before.  
 _*Ow, yeah, waaaaay better._ Akali's own voice sounded a bit in pain. _*Could you lower it just a tiny bit, I don't think I need to hear you so loud._  
Evelynn chuckled. Both the spirit world and the real world heard that low rumble. Akali felt taken by warmth. It was an odd sensation in the dark blue of this world. Like it wasn't supposed to happen.  
 _Okay. Now, to the mountain side._ thought Akali, her spirit form closing her eyes to focus.

A snap of fingers later, she found herself by the ancient looking dojo. The dark blue shade of the world here seemed almost softer. She remembered the place to always feel like home, no matter how bad she was feeling. Something about the old mahogany colored wood. She saw a few people in the training rooms. Souls varying in color, some were more a shade of blue, others almost purple. But the one she was looking for was on the other side of the building. Next to a pond. His eyes closed, his soul shining with the same blue green teal color Akali's was.  
She knew it was Shen. She recognized his stance, the rigidness in his shoulders. He still wore the same odd cloth wrapped robe that she knew from her younger years. He was definitely a creature of habit. He also still wore his mask, it covered his face and hair. Akali had always assumed he was bald, it made her giggle to think about it.  
She felt glad that her mother wasn't around. Maybe she was busy with something else away from the dojo? Akali tried to not think about it. It would only bring pain, and she didn't need that right now, she needed questions answered.  
She copied Shen's stance, he was sitting cross legged. Meditating most likely.

"Akali?" he said, a bit surprised but not startled.  
"Hey there." she declared in return, her hand scratching the back of her head awkwardly.  
They stared at each other in silence for a moment. Shen's eyes were of a deep blue, gentle like the sea, but just as deadly. In his spirit sight, they looked more white just like a beam of light.  
"I was wondering when I would see you again." his voice was gentle, relaxed.  
"I had no idea I would come back." she admitted.  
"It's because of the devil I told you about isn't it?" he said.  
She swallowed hard.   
"If your tattoo is showing again, I know why you're here Akali."  
"Will you help?" she blurted.  
"I do not see how I could help you." he said in return.  
Talking with Shen was way more complex than she had expected. He cared mostly for the precepts he had shared with the dojo students. He didn't like taking action directly, as he said it was upsetting the balance. His stance on everything was neutrality.  
Akali cursed at herself for thinking one second that he could maybe join them into the fight ahead.  
"Nocturne has returned then, hasn't he?" he said, not expecting an answer "I guess I could show you what I know." he added, getting up.  
Akali felt joy. He was willing to help her understand. At least there was that.  
"I will ask you however, to not share this, with the demon inside your head." his voice stern, he walked towards an old ornamented box sitting on the other side of the pond.  
"She isn't as bad as you think." Akali said, maybe a bit too proud.  
Shen huffed. Akali blushed.  
"Akali, you cannot lie to me, I know what she is to you, but you have to promise this is only for your eyes."  
It took a moment for Akali to answer, she was a bit taken aback from the ease he could see through her.  
"She can't see through me. She can only hear my thoughts. I can't promise I won't think about whatever it is you plan to show me." she declared defensively.  
He turned around. His look like daggers of light in Akali's eyes.  
"Then I cannot help you." he said simply.  
"Shen, you've got to help us. He's got a physical form now." she begged him to see reason.  
"I am not to interfere with the balance. If he is here, it is because the balance has chosen. I'm sorry Akali, you will get no help from me." his voice rang like a requiem to Akali's ears. She was sad, disappointed, and angry.  
She felt her soul almost vibrating. The emotions overwhelming her. She focused on returning to her body. She had to do quick, else it would take a toll on her.  
"Good bye Shen." she spat.  
Again, she transferred to the penthouse. She laid down in her own body quickly, fearing a brutal return.

A loud gasp. Like she had woken up from a nightmare. She felt panicky, angry, resentful. Her fist clenched and a shiver ran down her back, shaking her core. Ahri and Kai'sa were taking notes about some things on the kitchen counter, only Evelynn had stood next to her. She still had her eyes closed, focusing. Akali felt restless. She punched the leather of the couch softly and cursed under her breath.  
The songstress opened one eye. Her left eyebrow rising. Akali stared at the ceiling for five minutes, trying to make her anger go away. It didn't pan out.  
"How did it go?" eventually asked Evelynn, feeling like she already knew the answer to that question.  
" _How do you think?_ " spat Akali.  
"Hm, figured as much." Evelynn shrugged. She got up and headed towards the other two.  
Akali was furious at the fact Shen had used whatever Evelynn and her had. The fact he instantly knew that they were linked somehow as well, it bothered her. A lot. She wanted to speak to Eve about it, and also thought it was useless. The inner conflict growing within her was getting unbearable. She needed some outlet. Again.  
She took her phone out of her pocket and looked at the time. It was getting a bit late, six thirty two in the afternoon. She thought about going on a bike ride. But she elected to do the next best thing.  
"Eve. Do you want to come to the vault with me?" asked the rogue.  
"The vault?" she repeated.  
"Yeah, I think it's about time I removed the dust from my Kama." she gave a feeble smile, hoping that Evelynn would agree.  
Evelynn sighed.  
"Fine." she conceded, both because she was curious about the blade, and also because she could feel Akali wanting to punch something again.  
If it meant Evelynn could watch Akali slice some dummies up as training, she was definitely interested. 

* * *

The body of the man was twisted in fear. The look on his face disturbing. But what was most disturbing about all this, was how he was still alive. When paranoia and fear takes so much of you, you would think that your body just gives up on you. Yet Tommen was still very alive. Terrified, but alive.  
"Who are you?" he said his voice shaky, betraying how scared he was.  
The blue eyed demon tutted and sighed.  
"I'm disappointed you don't remember me dear." he said with an eerie detached tone.  
"Are you-" started the young historian.  
"Your nightmares? Your fears?" asked the demon with a terrifying smile. His voice was metallic and sharp. Like a razor's edge.  
Tommen swallowed difficultly. Then mustering courage, he huffed.  
"What are you doing in my apartment."  
Tommen was small, slender, his blond hair disheveled on pale rose skin. His green eyes were too big for his eye sockets which gave him a constant pleading look.  
Nocturne laughed softly.  
"My dear, dear Tommen, you made me." said the dark haired man standing in front of the smaller one.  
He cupped the historian's chin with his ghostly fingers.   
Tommen shuddered. He wanted to run, but he was frozen in fear.  
"If I came to be, it's all thanks to you."   
Nocturne's eyes were stabbed in the young man's. A strand of black smoke came from the demon's hand that was cupping the face of the historian. It entered Tommen's mouth and nose, like a snake burrowing itself underground.   
Possession was one of Nocturne's favorites. Never had to do the dirty work himself.   
When Tommen opened his eyes, they were black at first, then turned to the same eerie blue of Nocturne's.  
"Now my boy, there is one thing I need you to do." said the demon.  
The shell of what used to be Tommen nodded.  
"Go wreck havoc in my name. And find **_the girl_**." his voice was mind shattering, like the coldest of winter winds.   
Like a puppet, Tommen put his jacket on and left his apartment. Nocturne laughed under his breath and looked at the cup of tea on the table. It was cold now. He picked up the cup.  
The liquid almost freezing to his touch, he drank it.  
"Good to be home." he told himself with a grin.

* * *

The vault was unsurprisingly, beneath the city. It was however, away from the penthouse, closer to the center. More people meant less risk of it being fractured. Or that's what the security services said anyways.  
It was a private vault in the general bank. When Akali and Evelynn showed up, the guard knew immediately why they were here. He guided them downstairs with a nod. Mindlessly chatting them up to avoid an awkward silence. Akali was glad for it. It allowed her to not overthink.  
They finally reached a massive steel door with a keypad on the right. Evelynn walked forward towards the keypad, and entered too long a string of numbers for anyone human to remember.  
The loud snap of steel meaning the door had unlocked made Akali jolt backwards. The guard chuckled and said that he didn't get used to it either. It made Akali smile.   
He stood outside the door, hand on his gun holster as he was supposed to do when people accessed their private vaults.  
Akali followed Evelynn inside.  
Their vault was filled with curios and things that Evelynn and Ahri had accumulated over the hundred of years of existence they had. Kai'sa had no belongings in there, preferring to enjoy life as it went, letting things be lost or stolen. The dancer didn't care much for things, people on the other hand. But you couldn't just put people in a vault.  
Ahri's things were various. Well kept and organized in a timeline. Akali's gaze lingered on an orb the size of her head with rolling blue. But she soon turned around to look at her own belongings.  
The Kama blade was under a glass seal. She took the key she always wore as a necklace and unlocked the box. The creaking of the hinges grabbed Evelynn's attention.  
The Kama was more akin to a long scythe, the handle leather wrap was done very well in obviously skilled craftmanship. The rogue brushed her thumb along the dull edge of the blade.   
She twirled it skillfully. The sound of steel cutting the air was something Evelynn appreciated.  
Akali grabbed a hollowed up kunai from a smaller box. The knife was as skillfully crafted as the Kama. Both weapons were deceptively simple looking.   
Evelynn however could smell the blood on the Kama and the Kunai. Both were weapons of war. And both had served before.  
"There should be a holster for it somewhere." said Akali looking around.  
"You mean to tell me you don't want the world see you run around waving a blade the size of your leg?" teased Evelynn.  
"Oh shut it." Akali smiled.  
Evelynn felt proud of the feeling she could bring to the rogue.  
Eventually, they found the leather holster for the Kama blade. It was an odd bandolier that Kali had to wrap on her right leg and left hip at once. The leather wraps were soft to the touch, worn out but still holding strong.  
Evelynn looked attentively at Akali tightening the leather around her hip and found herself enjoying it maybe a bit too much.  
The rogue felt the demon's thoughts, intrusive but not unwelcomed. She didn't react to them however.  
It was around eight when they left. Kali hopped on her bike, helmet fastened.  
Eve had preferred taking one of her cars out. She also wanted Akali to have some time on her own.   
She had rightly assumed, that she wasn't needed at the moment. She was going to be there if Akali wished, but other than that, she would leave her be.  
The two women ended up racing a bit on the highway Akali doing wheelies like a boy with his brand new bicycle. Evelynn laughed wholeheartedly from inside her car at the sight.  
"You idiot." she said.  
 _*I heard that._ Akali's thoughts rang like a laugh in Evelynn's brain.

* * *

Kai'sa had figured out with all the reading she did, that Nocturne would be most likely possessing one or two humans in order for them to do his dirty work. The issue was that neither her nor Ahri had an idea as to who the humans could be, and how they could even be linked to the Greater.  
Ahri's lips pursed. It was a difficult endeavor to prepare against a threat you knew nothing about. Or barely anything. She suddenly thought about something.  
"Do you think they will be home soon?" asked the fox-eared girl eagerly.  
The void chosen shrugged.  
"Akali looked upset, they might have gone on a small race or something like that, you know how they both feel about motorsports." declared Kai'sa.  
Ahri's foot tapped eagerly on the ground. She wanted to ask Evelynn about how she had been defeated in the past. If it had even happened. And she knew in advance that the whole discussion would be something difficult for Eve to even admit or open up, since her ego was all about denial of anything she messed up.  
Demonic egos are, for lack of a better term, _fucking annoying_.

Twenty minutes later, the rogue and the songstress crossed the door threshold of the penthouse. Akali looked slightly less upset, but her furrowed brows still screamed that she needed to go hit something with her fists. Evelynn however looked as radiant as ever.  
Kai'sa gave them a wave and a soft smile. Ahri was in her room, ruminating about the question she wanted to ask the demon.   
"Where's the fox?" asked Akali.  
"Upstairs."  
Akali climbed up the stairs fleet footed. She wanted to show Ahri the blade. She had remembered that she was curious about it back when she had accompanied her to drop it off in the vault.  
Two soft knocks on Ahri's door.  
"Yeah?" said the blonde girl.  
"Look what I got here." said Akali opening the door frantically, showing her weapon holstered classily in the leather wraps.  
Ahri's face lit up like a child's on Christmas day.  
"It's beautiful." she said.  
"It's about time I took it back. I should have done this forever ago." said Akali taking it out for a spin.  
The sound it made was both terrifying and extremely satisfying.  
"Oh and look at this one. I don't think you saw this bad boy before."  
The rogue threw the hollowed out kunai to the fox girl. Ahri caught it skillfully. Twirled it around her fingers.   
"Oooh. Is that _the kunai_?" she asked, her ears wiggled excitedly.  
Akali nodded with a smile. She loved that Ahri was so eager to enjoy what she enjoyed. Kai'sa was always a bit worried when Kali juggled her knives, and Evelynn was enjoying it too much. Ahri was the only one to see them as pieces of art like Akali did.  
"It's so pretty, just like you described it to me too!" she yapped enthusiastically.  
"Wanna give the big one a spin?" asked Akali.  
"Oh, no, this one scares me." she said with a shrug.  
Akali chuckled and sheathed the Kama blade in the leather. She then gave a hand out to get the kunai back.  
"I had plans to warm up to it again in the sports room, would you want to join me for the show?" asked the rogue with pride.  
Ahri jumped up. A small excited screech coming out of her closed lips.  
"I guess that means yes."   
They both laughed and headed downstairs. Akali looked proud and ready to slice up anything in her path. Ahri just like a kid to whom you promised ice cream.  
"Well don't you two look chirpy." said Evelynn, mellow and dramatic.  
"We're going to the gym room, so I can warm up to my babies. Want to join to watch the show?" said the rogue almost teasefully.  
Evelynn smirked. Kai'sa sighed and headed to the bathroom only to come back out with the first aid box.  
"Just in case."  
Evelynn and Ahri laughed, Akali chuckled but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. 

* * *

She had changed into her favorite fighting gear. A deep green sirwal with wavy black swirls. Ankle wraps of a lighter green skillfully tied with silk rope to keep them in place. The leather holster holding steady on her hip, another leather pouch on her back.   
A crop top made of green skin tight fabric covering her chest lovingly, the neck piece of silk rope hanging gracefully on her shoulders and her back a small amount.  
She also had a face mask covering her nose and mouth, the piece of cloth of the same deep green. A touch of bright green making her eyes look brighter than usual.  
What she was wearing made her tattoo extremely visible. She had also small wrist wraps that were maintaining her middle and ring finger together. In case she had to go for barehanded fist fighting.  
The three other girls sat on the side of the private gym room. Waiting for the rogue to start showing off.  
She gave three skillful spins of the Kama in her right hand, the kunai in the left, blade pointing outwards.  
She first worked on her footwork. Reminding herself the knowledge Shen had shared. Her fist clenched around the Kama handle, she turned sour at the recent interaction she had had with him.  
She bit her tongue a bit to focus. Anger would lead to nothing. She had expected the old man to give nothing, and yet she still felt resentment.  
She moved swiftly from left to right, her posture low and light footed. A bit like a prowling tiger.  
Her hair was tied up high.

Swishing through nothing, the steel was hungering. She jumped forward, around the immobile target. Nicked its plastic shoulder. She sighed. Still targets were boring.  
"Kali, how about we make this more interesting." declared Evelynn rolling her neck with a crack, tying her hair in a bun.  
The rogue rose her eyebrows high. Both surprised and taken off guard. She pulled her mask down.  
" _Excuse me?_ " she blabbered.  
Evelynn removed her jacket, and her skin softly turned anthracite, just like she had seen before. Her lasher poked at Akali's arm drawing a drop of blood.  
" _I'm right here darling._ " said Evelynn, pushing the dummy away in one strong lasher slap. It sent it flying in a corner of the room.  
Ahri brought her hand to her forehead, and Kai'sa's second skin crackled on her hands showing crystallized gauntlets.  
"Please don't go at each other too hard." she demanded.  
Akali was staring down Evelynn.   
_*I can take you on, don't hold back._ the honeyed tone of the demoness made her breathe loudly.  
 _*You're enjoying this aren't you?_ Akali's eyes speaking more than her thoughts.  
Evelynn's lasher attempted a poke at her left shoulder again. But it was met with the flat of the Kama's blade.  
"It won't work twice." said Akali, in a low growl.  
"We'll see about that."  
Evelynn lowered down the same way that Akali was holding herself. Their legs were dancing in a mirrored way, same pace, same rhythm. Holding, waiting, for the other one to make a move, give an opening, or show a weakness.  
Evelynn had the range. Akali needed to be wary of the lashers. She remembered she had throwing knives in her back pouch. Her mind was racing to come up with a strategy. _Equal footing my ass._ she thought.  
Evelynn snickered at that.  
There. The ego. That was the opening.  
She threw three knives at Evelynn's feet. They weren't meant to hit her, just to distract. It worked, she looked down for a second, lost sight of Akali. The rogue dashed backwards, hit her foot on the ground and launched herself forward. With a surprising amount of agility, she sent herself flying over to Evelynn's side, who still had not moved. When in reach, the demon cupped her face with her right hand and nicked her jaw with her claws not cutting deep, but enough so that Akali could feel the sting of the cut.  
She sent a kiss at Akali as well as a wink. Then she pushed herself backwards with both lashers. Like a tight rope walker doing a flip on a rope. It was both filled with grace and poise.   
Kai'sa and Ahri found themselves bewildered at the interaction. It was like a dance, both of them knowing their moves, incapable of hitting the spot to take the advantage. Even though Kai'sa saw very well that Evelynn should have the upper hand.  
Akali snorted. She held the Kama low and took a sweep at the nearby lasher, which surprisingly bled. She had expected them to be hard like metal, but maybe she had taken Eve off guard a bit.  
The demon hissed in pain, but licked her lips as she saw the drips of red.  
She flicked the lasher at Akali's face. Sending the red on her face.  
 _*Eve, no-_ thought Akali softly.  
 _*Show me your true self honey, I'm not scared of you.~_ Evelynn's voice was distorted, Akali could feel the Allure overtaking again. She also felt the rush of desire. Desire for blood.  
Kai'sa saw the flicker. Akali's eyes were now of a deep crimson. She grabbed Ahri's arm in panic.  
"We have to stop them." she said, her purple gaze was filled with fear.  
Ahri's was relaxed. The gumiho rose a questioning eyebrow.  
"Eve can handle herself. Also you don't know about her _gift_." said Ahri softly.  
"Her what?" asked the void chosen.  
"Just watch."

Akali's attacks grew more aggressive. Like taken in a trance, except the Allure wasn't responsible this time. Evelynn dodged all of them with surprising ease. Perching herself on top of her lashers, poking at Akali's skin with the bladed tip of the lashers. The anger of the fight turned into arousal. Both forgetting about their audience. Taken in the dance of the fight.   
_*You look good when you fight._ said Evelynn in her low velvety growl.  
 _*Get out of my head._ was the only thing Akali could think. Even though she was lying to herself with that.  
 _*I could eat you all up._ teased the demon.  
" _Get the fuck out of my head Eve._ " her voice was like a bark.  
Evelynn laughed. A distorted malevolent laugh. A laugh with the intent to break whoever was facing her.  
"I'm going to enjoy every single drip of agony you give me honey." she said, launching forward so quickly, Akali couldn't react in time. She was like a blur of smoke, grabbing her with her magenta claws on the rogue's chest. She traced her abs with an index. Leaned forward and licked Akali's ear.  
"That's enough Evie." Ahri's voice was loud and stern.   
"Your tattoo Kali." said Kai'sa. Her second skin creeped up her shoulders in apprehension.   
Evelynn stood up, off of Akali's lap and gave her hand to help the rogue up. Akali took it.   
"We have a visitor." declared Ahri, her nine tails out. The door was opened. A man standing in the doorframe, looking disheveled, and ghostly.  
Evelynn's golden gaze stared down the unnatural blue ones of the man.  
"And you are?" asked Evelynn, letting Allure overtake her voice in the thickest way she could allow it to.  
"You know who I am don't you Eve." he said, his voice was otherworldly.  
 _*He's possessed._  
 _*What?_  
 _*Nocturne has him._  
Akali's red eyes snapped from Eve to the sinister blues of the man still immobile in the door frame.  
"Good evening Akali." he said, his neck cracking from too quick a movement. His blue eyes made her feel uneasy. "Do you not remember me?"  
Her knuckles turned white as her grip around her weapons tightened.  
 _*We need to purge him._ Evelynn's voice cold and calculating. _*It's our best bet at finding him._  
 _*How do we even purge a man from possession?_  
 _*I have an idea, but it may not work._  
Eve walked towards the man still planted in the doorway. She cupped his jaw with her warm hand. His skin was as cold as ice. The clash of warmth made him look surprisingly lively.  
"Help me..." his voice was low and shaky. Whatever was in his head, Evelynn's touch had helped for him to return closer to his real self.  
"Ahri, how did I spit out the blob thing, what did you do for me to do that." asked Akali quietly.  
"You drank vodka and coughed."  
"You did nothing else?" inquired the rogue.  
"Kai'sa slapped you with her second skin on when you were still asleep, but I don't think it changed anything." said Ahri.  
"Kai, do it. We have to try."  
Kai'sa surprisingly aware of the situation, walked forward as well and gave a loud slap on the man's cheek.   
" _Well now, that wasn't very nice, dear._ " his otherworldly voice came back rushing.   
His electric gaze planted itself in the gentle purple of Kai'sa's eyes. The dancer felt dread, fear, panic, terror. All at once. Memories of her past like shards of ice planted in her brain.   
She walked backwards, holding her head in pain. A pained scream came out of her mouth.   
" _What did you do to my friend?_ " barked Akali, ready to pounce and cut his throat.  
"A taste of terror." he said glacially.  
Ahri grabbed Kai'sa's face with both her hands. She forced her to stare at her blue eyes.  
 _*Kali, grab my hand, and grab his arm._ suddenly snapped Evelynn's voice in her head. _*You need to listen to me. If you ignore my thoughts right now, Kai could very well be stuck in a terror loop._  
Akali obeyed. Evelynn grabbed his right arm, Kali the left. Their hands joined like two magnets.  
The intense warmth grew from their touch, Akali's left hand felt freezing on the man's arm. But her will was stronger.  
The warmth from the two women made the man's shoulders curl up until he retched and coughed, the same sort of ink blob that Akali had thrown up. Except this time, it was a lot more lively. Like it was looking for someone to inhabit.  
Evelynn picked it up with her magenta claws, and it spontaneously caught on fire. 

A few minutes after the man returned to a sort of consciousness Evelynn turned back to a more human form. He didn't need two demons to stare at him in the same day.  
Akali's eyes had turned back to their deep dark green. And Kai'sa was slowly getting her composure back.  
The rogue gently shook the man who's skin was now more rose and less ghostly looking.   
"Hey, wake up man." she said in her softest tone.  
"W-Where am I?" he asked febrile.  
"You're safe. That's what matters." snapped Evelynn dryly.  
He swallowed loudly. His head felt like someone had beaten him senseless.  
"I'm Akali, don't care about my friend here, we just want some answers okay?" the rogue gave him a warm smile, which made him feel a bit more at ease. "What's your name?" she asked.  
"Tommen. Jens Tommen. I work as a historian for the city's museum." he said.  
"Well Tommen, you were just possessed by an aspect of terror." declared Evelynn. She despised everything Nocturne did. Humans were toys, but possession was just nasty.  
"I only remember his eyes." he said, breath hitched and voice shaky.  
"It's okay, you're fine now, we got you."   
Evelynn turned to Ahri.  
"I think you need to gift her like I did to Kali, darling." she said pointing her chin to Kai'sa. "Looks like she's going to need it more than I thought."  
"Eve, I can't just give that to anybody." said Ahri gloomily.  
"You have nine of them, I have one. And yet here I am." Evelynn snapped back at the fox eared girl.  
"What do you mean?" asked Kai'sa.  
Seemingly out of nowhere Ahri gave the void chosen what looked to be a glass stick. It was blue and crystalline like a bright lapis lazuli.   
"I'm giving it to you as a gift. But only break it if you know you want us to be linked for the rest of your days. It will protect you from _him_." she said gently, closing Kai'sa's hands around the stick.  
"What is it?"  
"It's one of my tails."  
Akali looked baffled. She suddenly understood why Ahri was so distant to talk about her tails, she also understood why she had never fallen in love or chosen someone to live with. She was just as scared as Eve to lose them. Because she was immortal, and humans weren't.  
"You're a-" started Akali, only to be stopped by Evelynn's warm grasp on her arm.  
The golden eyed demon shook her head softly. Now was not the right time. More pressing matters were ahead of them.  
"Tommen, I know you are probably still shook, but we are going to need you to describe everything you can about what happened to you." said Evelynn in a mellow tone, her eyes looking at the man.  
"You're like him aren't you." he said, his eyes mesmerized by the golden opals.  
"Nocturne and I are **nothing** alike." she hissed.  
Akali's hand found itself on Evelynn's shoulder to attempt to make her relax. Surprisingly, the songstress relaxed to the rogue's touch.  
"Tell us Tommen, what was he like." Evelynn's tone went back to gentle and honeyed.

"He said I made him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this one was longer to write i think. Almost 2k more words than the previous. I attempted to go more with backstory and whatever but my stupid brain said no, lets have them fight because i want to see them fight. ANYWAYS, next one soon, even though its about to be christmas so im probably going to take a bit longer for that next update. Hope you guys are enjoying your stay, thanks so much for all the feedback so far, I really didn't expect this much. Its so humbling. <3  
> Catch u soon!


	9. Humans are so Predictable

They all got up to the penthouse. Kai'sa debated that the man was a complete stranger who also happened to just have given her hallucinations with a stare. And while it did make sense to be wary, Akali knew he was mostly harmless. Only mostly, because there was always a part of uncertainty.  
Evelynn thought it was stupid, to not question the man, as it was probably the only way to get the upper hand on Nocturne.   
Ahri on the contrary was just worried about the lack of concern for how terrible Kai'sa had felt, so she decided to make her something nice to try and soothe the ache, and ignored the man altogether.  
Tommen was actually a pretty okay guy. Simple tastes, simple wants, simple needs. He felt incredibly sorry for all that had happened. And apologized profusely to Kai'sa who eventually saw reason.  
He hadn't been himself. That much was clear.  
Evelynn questioned him thoroughly, almost getting to the point where she asked for his blood type, but Akali pretended it was just a joke so that he wouldn't freak out.  
 _*Eve what in the world are you doing?_ said Akali's voice in the demoness's head, her eyes were asking for an answer insistently.  
 _*Just making sure about a few things is all, darling._  
Akali rolled her eyes so far back that it hurt. Evelynn pretended she didn't notice, but gave a chuckle either way.

After a long chat, nothing that Tommen had said seemed to lead to helping get to Nocturne, except for one.   
If Tommen had made him, then the answer laid in the historian's brain.  
"Maybe we should just kill him." said Evelynn casually.  
" _Eve, you can't just go about and kill people like that. There's rules now._ " said Ahri with an eyeroll.  
"They're joking **right**?" asked Tommen to Akali, his face showing uncertainty.  
"I'd love to tell you they are. Eve's got a thing for..." started the rogue before being cut off by a golden glare. "Don't look at me like that. You know very well how weird your fetishes are Lynn." teased the rogue with a shrug.  
"Murder is a _fetish_?" asked the historian, turning from incredulous to terrified.  
"Look honey, I won't touch you." said the diva. "Even though I can tell you would like that, hm?" she teased Tommen a bit.  
"I just want to go back to my little routine, I don't wanna die, I-"  
Kai'sa put a hand to the man's shoulder and gave him a soft look.  
"They're weird, but they won't kill you. I'll make sure of that." said the void touched. Akali nodded.  
Tommen seemed to relax a bit.  
Ahri and Evelynn laughed a bit as they gave themselves a conniving look. Messing with humans was always something that made them chuckle.   
"Tommen, where do you live?" asked Akali.  
"Not very far away from the museum, why?"  
"It's not like we're lacking room to keep you here, but I'm curious, you said he appeared in your apartment didn't you?" continued the rogue.  
"Yes?"  
"Maybe there's something interesting he left around." stated Evelynn.  
"That's what I was thinking." said Akali.  
" _I know.~_ "  
Akali blushed without realizing it.  
"Get a room already." said Kai'sa under her breath with an eye roll.  
Both the songstress and the rapper ignored that. And turned towards Tommen.  
"I'll take him there and look for _whatever_ I can find." declared Akali heading to pick up her leather jacket and the bike helmets. "You okay with motorcycles?" she asked the historian.  
He nodded and caught the helmet Akali had thrown gently to him.  
"I'll be back soon." she said.

* * *

His eyes were distinctly stabbed at the door. Half waiting for it to open, half wanting to exit the boring apartment he was in. He knew that the link with Tommen had been broken. He had expected as much. He however, didn't expect for it to break that fast.  
He sighed and chuckled. A challenge was more than welcome. He was tired of the lack of interest most people he fought in the past had showed. At least Evelynn knew how to fight for her prey. Though, it was odd that he couldn't access Akali's mind. He pondered whether or not it was possible that Evelynn was constantly possessing the girl. He ended up going for a different conclusion. Agony had given her something.   
He laughed. Glacial, icy, metallic laugh.   
He stared at himself in the vanity mirror next to the door. He found himself looking absolutely _terrifying_. Which was exactly what he liked about himself.  
" _Timor mortis delectat me._ " he told himself.  
 _The fear of death pleases me._ in Latin. He had taken the habit of using that phrase whenever a challenge showed itself. Evelynn knew that in the past, his strongest moments were in the middle ages. So were hers. Something about the beginning of Christianity that made believers absolutely terrified of demonic influence.  
Today, people didn't care nearly as much, they would still be terrified, sins would still be something humans would avoid if they could. But so many of them just _yielded into temptation_. To the great delight of the Greaters.  
Nocturne however had not found a human enjoying terror as he did. He didn't believe that any human would have that _taste_ for fear. Or the taste to subjugate in order to dominate the human race.  
And yet he knew deep inside that he was wrong.  
There was one, that he knew about. One that he could dare share his terror with. One that wasn't completely human anymore.

The door creaked open. Tommen was the first one to enter, Akali closely following, Kama at the ready.  
The apartment felt abnormally glacial. The aura of fear still lingering. After checking each room, both the historian and the rogue found that the flat was completely empty, except for the residual terror. Akali's eyes were now stuck on red. She knew the hunt was afoot. Tommen didn't question the eye color even though he seemed a bit worried by it.   
"Tommen can I ask you something?" said the rogue, sheathing the Kama in the holster on her leg.  
"Yes, of course." he said, voice shaky.  
"Do you have anything to do with the recent stolen artefact from the museum?" her eyes looking intently at one of the tilted picture frame on the wall.  
His face turned from pale pink to scarlet. He wanted to answer, but instead opened his mouth without a sound exiting it.  
"Of course. Why didn't I think about it earlier." said Akali with a shrug. "I'm not a cop, I couldn't care less about the reasons you did it, but something tells me Nocturne found whatever it is you stole."  
Tommen walked towards the picture frame to look behind it. A small safe with a numpad to unlock. He pressed a few buttons, the clacking sound of the metal door letting the handle twist in to open.  
Empty. Of course.  
"I-" he began.  
 _*Humans are so predictable._ Evelynn's voice like a bell in Akali's mind. Akali shut herself off temporarily. Evelynn's brow furrowed as she was sitting in the penthouse. Ahri looked at her confused but discarded any question she had.

"Tell me, what was it you took exactly?" asked the ninja, putting a warm hand to Tommen's shoulder as he turned around.  
"You don't understand, if he's going to free her, then..." his voice was even more shaky than before.  
"Tommen, you need to tell me." she pressed on.  
"He's going to free Lissandra, the Ice Witch."

* * *

Miles away. Surrounded in snow and icy cold mist, his dark silhouette materialized. His eyes stared at the shard of black ice in his left hand. It should have frozen his skin if he was human, but he was nowhere close to be. Night was slowly falling, and the red from the sun soon let the pale blue of the moon take over.  
It made his eyes glow in an eerie way. Whispers surrounding him as the darkness grew thicker.   
He entered an icy cave. Between turquoise and black blue shades, strangely glowing as he carried the shard like a torch. His footsteps on the snowy ground left black steps. Smoky, strangely alive.  
He heard her voice echo, asking for freedom. He smiled. He had known her in the past. Followed her search for power with great interest. He only hoped that she would agree.  
He walked quietly, the faint echoes of ice singing at each crack. The shard was glowing strangely. If it was even possible for anything to glow black. Nocturne let his shade form a path ahead towards an odd ice formation, akin to a sort of altar.  
In its chest, a hole, which looked surprisingly similar to the shape of the shard the demon was carrying. He snapped his fingers to conjure a blue flame nearby. The shard unnaturally shining, he pressed it into its socket.

Hard winds, cold as death. A blizzard, so powerful anybody would have been frozen on the spot. Unless they were a cold blooded demon just like Nocturne was. He laughed.  
"Awaken, my dear." his voice echoed in the cathedral of ice, like an earthly whisper.  
She was beautiful. Clad in white gold and dark blue. A mask of intricate detail covering her eyes, looking like deer horns, except made of black blue ice.  
Nocturne reached for the mask, to remove it from her head. Letting a river of white hair down. Her eyes slowly opened. Ice blue. Almost white. The demon surprised himself with a smile. The Ice Queen was really a magnificent sight to behold.  
"Lissandra." he said.  
"Nocturne." she answered in a low pitched ethereal voice.  
Somehow she knew who he was. The echoes of ice had told her. She wasn't afraid. She had understood he came to her as an equal, to rule. Not that she agreed, but she saw his motivations clearly. Both of them could mutually benefit from the other.  
He reached out for her hand, holding his opened in reverence. She grabbed it. The cold of his terror made the ice of her veins crackle. Just like when you put an ice cube in a room temperature drink.  
In an unsaid dance, he accompanied her out of the dimly lit ice fortress. The only light source coming from the floating flame above his shoulder.  
"My Queen, I will need your cold." he said, once they were both on the side the icy looking mountain peak.  
She breathed out an icy wind, and in a whisper, snow started falling.  
" _Eternal winter._ " her voice like singing ice, distant and distorted, clawing at the bowels of earth.  
He laughed.  
She was perfect.   
"May I?" he asked in a tone surprisingly gentle. Reaching out for her second hand.  
She gave it to him. He grabbed it and shade surrounded them both. Until they materialized closer to the city. Snow was still falling gently. Almost peacefully.   
Bystanders like mesmerized by the quiet sound of the snowflakes, looking up in bewilderment. Nocturne preferred they didn't show themselves yet. And dissimulated them in a cloak of shade. People around them were shivering. Of cold or the lingering terror, they didn't know.

* * *

"Lissandra?" barked Evelynn.  
"Excuse me, he's freeing _her_?" snapped Ahri at Tommen.  
"I just wanted to study the void ice." said his shaky voice.  
" _Void_ ice?" Kai'sa stabbed her purple hues in Tommen's green pearls.  
Suddenly the dancer seemed as scary, if not scarier than the three other women. Tommen just wanted to disappear. He had been terrified by Nocturne, but the fear he had in this moment of the Void Touched dancer was just as bad.  
Evelynn noticed that Akali's eyes were still crimson. Her golden stare refusing to leave the rogue's eyes, she pulled her by the sleeve of her jacket into the bathroom.  
"Eve- wh-" started Akali taken off guard.  
Evelynn lifted a hand to turn Akali's head under the strong light of the mirror, to see the rogue's eyes better.  
She distinguished them swirling like a roaring fire.   
" _What are you doing?_ " asked Akali, her voice low and somewhat raspy.  
"Darling, we need to awaken your demonic heritage."  
Her voice was velvety smooth. Factual and simple. Akali was extremely confused.  
"My what?"  
"Why do you think I could even gift you my gift in the first place, honey?" said the demoness.  
Akali didn't answer. She had suspected that the rush of heat she felt wasn't just because of the connection Eve and her had. She suspected correctly. Her hand rested over the Kama handle, as if to find countenance.  
" _Akali, I believe you have infernal heritage, and we are going to need to awaken it to take them both on._ " said Evelynn, both in a mellow and shaky tone. Something about this sentence scared her.

" _SHE DID WHAT WITH THE VOID?_ " Kai'sa's voice louder than a rumble of thunder in the living room.  
"She used it as a corrupting mechanism..." Tommen twittered, scared like a child.  
Kai'sa was fuming. Any reason had left her. Ahri was trying her best to hold her back but it was definitely more difficult than it looked. The void touched dancer's shoulder cannons perked up and started rumbling with magical energy, taking aim at Tommen.  
Akali and Evelynn bursting out of the bathroom as they heard the booming sound of Kai'sa's voice.  
Evelynn's gold eyes stabbing the historian she then took a look at Ahri holding the dancer with all her strength.  
"Bokkie, chill out. He's stupid curious, and its biting him in the ass, but I don't think we should evaporate him for it." said Akali as neutrally as she could.  
Akali's voice seemed to bring Kai'sa to earth. Her eyes still sending spikes at the historian curled up on his chair.  
"Have you linked up with Ahri?" asked the demoness.  
"No." Kai'sa's voice was dry and distant.  
"You should."  
Ahri held Kai'sa by the wrist and pulled her upstairs. They both had things to talk about. Kai'sa followed without a fight. She needed to not see Tommen for a while anyway.  
"Do you have a place to stay?" asked Akali.  
"Not really. But I suppose I can afford a hotel room." he said under his breath.  
"I'll have it paid for. Give them this." Evelynn reached for seemingly nothing to pull out a card. Akali recognized it as one of Tobias's red cards. Something that the magician liked giving to his most esteemed guests in his hotel. It gave them access to a suite and spa treatment. Akali chuckled.  
 _*Oh he's not going to be happy about this._ the rapper's voice chirping in laughter in Evelynn's mind.  
Evelynn smirked at the thought Akali had shared.  
Akali had explained to Tommen to go to Tobias Felix' Twisted Hotel & Dance in the center of the city. She called for a taxi that promptly took him there.   
After being finally free of the squirmy historian, Akali looked for a drink. But before she could fill her glass, a loud knock was heard shaking the door.

"Lucian, I completely forgot." said the rogue opening the door.   
"What happened to your eyes?" he asked in his earthly voice.  
"It's a long story, darling." stated Evelynn as she gave Akali her glass of whiskey.  
She downed it in a gulp.  
"I was gone for three days. That much happened?"

They made him sit as Kai'sa and Ahri got back downstairs. Both the gumiho and the dancer gave him a nod, and brought snacks on the glass table next to the sofa and armchairs.  
It took them around half an hour to explain what had happened in the past days. Leaving out some of the non important details. Lucian felt a bit overwhelmed but his eyes were showing both dedication and stubbornness.  
He grabbed his phone from his pocket and called Senna.  
"Hello?" he put her on speaker.  
"Hey Senna." said Akali.  
"What's up?"  
Lucian proceeded to explain what had just been explained to him. Senna was quiet for the most part, only rhythming the conversation with agreeing hums.  
"So basically, we have two problems instead of one?" said Senna.  
"Yes." said Evelynn.  
"Which reminds me." said Lucian fetching for something in the pocket of his jacket. "There, that's for you."  
He gave Akali three vials of black and red.  
"They're concentrated."  
"Do you have some of mine as well?" inquired Evelynn at the sight of the demon blood.  
"As a matter of fact no, we do not." he answered simply.  
"Sen, I will be home soon."  
"Look Lucian, if you think you want to help them I can't stop you. I have obligations, you have less. It's up to you." Senna's voice rang a bit sad, she was scared for him.  
"Go home Lucian. We have more than enough. And there's one more thing I need to do." said Akali. Her eyes turned to Evelynn. The demoness nodded.   
_*Are you sure?_ the mellow voice of Eve gentle in Akali's brain.  
 _*Never been so sure in my life._ answered Akali's voice, like a roaring fire inside Evelynn's mind.  
He left quick after. Thanking them for everything, and telling repeatedly that if any of them needed help, he was always ready. Ahri and Kai'sa seemed oddly distant from one another. Almost shy even.  
 _*Did they-_ started Evelynn's thoughts.  
 _*Hold on... they did?!-_ Akali looked at Eve with a smile.

"My congratulations sweetheart." said the demoness with a caress on Ahri's chin. "You've got one for yourself now."  
"I'm right here Eve." said Kai'sa glowering at the songstress.  
Akali and Eve laughed in unison.  
"We should eat and rest. We have a lot to do tomorrow." said Ahri, ignoring both of them. "Kai, I'm glad you agreed." her voice was softer than usual. She was serious.  
"I'm also glad I did Ahri."   
Their eyes locked.   
"So that's what it looks like when we do that huh?" said Akali to Evelynn.  
The demoness surprised, tried her best to stop her cheeks from turning red, but to no avail. The rogue had a gift to take her off-guard. Akali noticed.  
 _*Oh. I'm sorry, was that inconsiderate of me?~_ teased the rogue's voice in the songstress's mind.  
 _*Both can play this game it seems._ conceded Eve.  
A smirk grew on Akali's face. Soon mirrored by the demoness.  
"All right, I'll make us something." said Kai'sa her face as scarlet at Akali's eyes. She got up in a jumpy way which made Ahri giggle.   
Akali felt her stomach rumble. She was starving. She decided to help her friend with dinner. She also wanted to talk with her, about what had happened between Ahri and her.  
After making sure that the demoness and the gumiho were far away enough, Akali locked her mind to avoid any Evelynn intrusion.  
"So, you want to talk about it?" asked the ninja, peeling carrots.  
"Can Eve hear you?" asked the void touched.  
Akali shook her head to say no.  
"I broke the tail stick thing Ahri gave, and then _she kissed me_." whispered Kai'sa.  
Her cheeks were scarlet.  
Akali's eyebrows perked up high, she pinched her lips in a smile, repressing an outburst of happiness for her friend. Instead she gave a gentle elbow into the side of the tall raven haired dancer. Akali wanted to ask for details, but that would be for another time.  
"Congrats." teased the rapper.  
"I don't know why but, now I feel like I'm not alone." said Kai'sa her voice full with a weird mix of emotions.  
"But does it feel good?" asked Akali.  
Kai'sa shrugged.   
"I think?" her purple gaze seemed lost on the vegetables she was chopping up in small cubes.  
"Look Kai, don't overthink it. Just ride the wave." said Akali.  
"You should follow your own advice." snapped Kai'sa back.  
It was Akali's turn to blush. The dancer giving her the same playful elbow in the side, which made Kali laugh.  
"I don't know what Eve and I are." said Akali suddenly serious.  
"You should probably talk about it." said Kai'sa catching on the seriousness of her friend.  
"It's not like there's a good time for it though." Akali washed her hands and the peeling knife she was using, thoughtful.  
"There might not be time at all soon, Kali." said Kai'sa factually.  
The harsh truth of the statement made the rogue's heart miss a beat. She didn't want to believe it but it was true, everything could be stopping soon. Akali caught herself staring at Evelynn from a distance. She reminded herself of their kiss, of their fights, of everything that made them. She thought about the golden glow from within Evelynn's chest.  
Mindlessly she let the demoness back in her brain. And Evelynn almost instantly turned to catch her scarlet gaze.  
Her look was both full of sadness and desire. Evelynn was confused at this odd mix, instead of relishing in the agony she was filled with, she wanted the rogue to smile.  
 _*Sleep with me tonight._ pleaded Akali's mind to Evelynn's.  
One of the sharp eyebrows of the demoness rose up. She didn't feel like it was an anodyne request. Evelynn felt the pain that Akali was in. She didn't understand it but she wanted to.  
 _*Okay. But no sex._ said Evelynn's mellow tone to mess with Akali's brain.  
From across the living room Akali choked on air. Kai'sa tapped gently on her back to help her cough it out. She gave a subtle head shake to Eve.  
 _*Unless you want your brain to go dumb.~_ teased the demoness.  
Akali tried her best to ignore the intrusive thoughts that plagued her mind. But nothing else than Evelynn's tongue and teeth were now the images her brain could conjure. She bit her bottom lip, hard. The pain helped temporarily.  
And as hard as she tried, Evelynn saw the sweetest agony drip from her as the rogue tried to repress the desire. The demoness ran her tongue on her lips. Akali attempted to ignore it, but instead stared even more.  
Unexpectedly the rogue exited the living room as fast as she could and locked herself in the bathroom.

The dancer threw the diced vegetables in a wok where vegetable oil was getting warm. The sizzling sound like a soft appeasing noise to her ears. She didn't hear Ahri come up to give her a hug. Like frozen her spine went stiff. She felt her hands shake, but focused on cooking as she swallowed the knot that had suddenly appeared in her throat.  
Tightening the grip on the handle of the massive metallic pan, she shook the oily vegetables in a skilled motion of her wrist.  
Ahri was purring on her back. The warm embrace both stressing her out and relaxing her at the same time. Kai'sa didn't know how to feel about anything. Her natural awkwardness prevented her from enjoying the fact Ahri was clearly trying to help her wind down.  
"Is everything okay?" asked the fox-eared woman with a gentle nod in Kai'sa's shoulder pad.  
"Mhm!" answered the dancer, clearly anxious.  
Ahri gave her some room, she could see that something was wrong, but she didn't really understand what it was.   
Oblivious for oblivious, she gave Kai'sa a kiss on the cheek, which led to the dancer forgetting how to breathe, before hopping away, to knock on the bathroom door.  
"You okay in there Kali?" asked the soft voice of Ahri.

Akali didn't hear. She had put her head under a cold stream of water. It barely helped. She couldn't clear her mind. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing but Eve's mellow tone in her mind. Nothing but the reminders of tease, her fangs and bite like ink on her skin.  
The image of her golden eyes imprinted on the back of her mind. Searing her memory.  
 _You need to use it, not repress it, darling._ It was like Eve was in her head. Yet she knew it was just the figment of her imagination. She had shut herself off as well as she could. She stopped the water from running. Her hair now completely wet, she wrapped it in a towel and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her fire red eyes looking down at herself, she looked terrible.  
"Kali what the fuck are you on about, snap out of it." she told herself under her breath.  
She swore she could have heard Evelynn's low chuckle from the door. She unlocked it and got out, only to see the songstress by the balcony, way too far to have been where the rapper believed she had been a second ago.  
She ran upstairs in her room without waiting for anyone to notice she had finally exited the bathroom.

"Is Kali okay?" asked Ahri seeing the feet of her friend reach the upper level of the penthouse.  
Kai'sa shrugged. Evelynn gave a head tilt and pinched her lips downwards.  
"Do you expect me to go check up on her?" asked Evelynn when she noticed Ahri kept staring at her.  
"I don't know Eve, you're a bit responsible for that aren't you?" said the gumiho sarcastically.  
"Don't sass me Ahri."  
Kai'sa laughed. Evelynn gave the void touched a terrifying glare but Kai'sa wasn't scared of the demoness.  
It was one of those things that Kai'sa thought hilarious. Evelynn would try her best to be intimidating, but the dancer knew exactly that she was doing just that. Trying.  
Evelynn rolled her eyes and sighed.  
"All right, give me a plate." said the songstress giving one of her hands out to grab the plate that Kai'sa had just prepared.  
And just like that, Kai'sa and Ahri gave themselves a look that said it all, they laughed under their breaths until Evelynn had disappeared upstairs.

She gave a rhythmic triple knock at Akali's door. Didn't wait for her to tell her to get in and did anyway. The rogue was changing into something more comfortable. The usual oversized shirt and a pair of baggy sweatpants. She had let her hair down. Like an odd river of black and gold running on her shoulders. When her hair was wet, it usually was less rebellious. One of the front locks however didn't seem to have gotten the memo.  
"There." said the golden eyed demon, handing the plate to the rogue.  
"Thanks."   
Kali avoided Eve's stare. Evelynn still locked out of the rogue's mind.  
"Are you okay?" finally asked the songstress.  
Akali didn't know how to answer that question. She didn't know whether she was worried, excited, scared, terrified or even turned on. She didn't know whether she wanted her feelings to subside, and just get on with the mission ahead, or if she wanted them to keep going.   
So she shrugged.  
"I don't need to be able to read your mind to see something is gnawing at you Kali." said Evelynn in a soft velvety tone.  
The rogue sat down and started eating, refusing to speak to Evelynn. If she was going to talk, she needed to eat.   
Evelynn waited in silence. Sitting on the chair next to the desk. While Akali was on the bed, sitting cross legged, facing the window. She was watching the lights of the city dance in the night. She noticed the snow. It was still winter after all. The snow somehow made her feel at peace.  
The demoness kept quiet for a while, watching the rogue from a distance, drawing the individual strands of dark hair that were running on her shoulders. She wanted to talk but assumed it was for Kali to decide if she wanted to even interact.  
It was late. The sound of the city grew softer and somewhat muffled by snow. The red eyed girl looked up at the ceiling and sighed loudly. Like smoke materializing next to her, Evelynn's warm hands rested on her shoulders gently. No motion, just the heat of her skin against the fabric of the shirt.  
The rogue leaned into the touch without even realizing it.  
"Talk to me Kali." whispered Evelynn with a pleading tone Akali didn't know she could have.  
The rogue turned around gently, and locked her red pearls into the golden orbs of the demon facing her.

"What are we Eve?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what else to say at this point, it's starting to come to terms.  
> I've been torturing myself to push and have this chapter released before new year's eve.  
> I hope you guys enjoy. I'll see you next year <3
> 
> Happy Holidays!


	10. Calm...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is fairly short but its a 2 part break, i promise you theres a good reason for that

She was taken aback by the question. Her golden eyes usually so extremely bright were dimly lit, avoiding the rogue's gaze. Akali refused to look away. She wanted an answer. She _needed_ that answer.  
She thought she didn't care what the answer would be, but really she just wanted Eve to admit that they actually had something going. And that it wasn't all the _gift_ making it happen.  
Eve's mind was going five millions miles a second. _What are we?_ The question was simple, but no answer came to mind.  
"What do you want us to be?" eventually asked the demoness in a broken whisper.  
Akali got equally taken aback by that question. Of course Evelynn would answer with a question. But there was a sincerity to this one that Akali did not expect, Evelynn seemed as lost as the rogue. What was it they wanted? No-one knew, not even them apparently.  
To her own surprise, Akali lifted a hand to cup Evelynn's face. She was so soft doing it, she forgot everything around them, nothing but Evelynn's angular but perfect face mattered.  
The songstress felt puppeteered by the gentle motion. It wasn't something common but she felt at ease under the rogue's touch and she let herself be guided.

Like a quiet dance, Akali let the empty plate of food rest on the side of the bedside table. She pushed Evelynn backwards so that she would be lying down on the bed. In a soft thud her back felt the softness of the blanket curl under her. Almost artistically the rogue sat on her heels over the demoness who let herself be ruled by the red eyed rogue. Akali without thinking about anything, was just enjoying the beautiful sight it was.   
Eve was controlling her from under. But also wanted to partially lose it again, that control was unnecessary. She didn't want to control her, she just didn't want to share her. Talk about being possessive for a demon. She chuckled at herself.  
Akali's mouth curled into a soft smile. She let her fingers run along Evelynn's jaw, let them down her neck and finally let them press lightly where both her clavicles met. Evelynn was just like one of those marble statues, pristine, beautiful under every angle.  
She felt the heat of her skin under her fingers. Felt the gentle thud of her heart through her ribcage. They stared at each other like this for a while. Nothingness surrounding them. Like floating in a dream. Gold and red dancing sinfully close.  
The lack of words didn't bother them. Right now they were just enjoying each other in the simplest of fashions. The silence only broken by soft sighs and breathless whispers.  
Neither of them really knew what to say.  
Was it really necessary?  
To speak?  
"Yes." said Akali, speaking to herself more than anything.  
Evelynn looked at her confused but let the rogue say what was on her mind.  
"I don't know how to explain it to you Eve." the woman's voice was gentle albeit a bit broken.  
"Then don't." Eve's voice was raspy and low.  
"No you don't get it. I have to. We may never have a moment _like this_ again." Akali was just saying whatever her mind said, without much afterthought.  
"You don't even believe that Kali." said the demoness.  
Eve was right, she didn't believe that it was it. She believed in their capacity to take on Nocturne and whoever else was a threat. But she also knew that this moment right now might very well be the only peaceful moment she could have with the demoness for a long while. And she definitely didn't want to miss another opportunity.  
"No, you're right I don't." admitted the raven haired girl. "It still doesn't mean I don't care and worry for you though." the words escaped her without her approval.  
Evelynn chuckled and put her hands under her neck, looking at Akali from below.  
"What." said the rogue snapping at the stupid smirk Evelynn was now wearing.  
Evelynn only answered with a held back laugh. Akali felt the rumble from the songstress' abdominal muscles under her thighs.  
"Fuck you Eve." she pestered.  
" _You wish.~_ "

Akali's only response was a laugh and her eyes rolled back in their sockets. She hated how Eve could positively read her behavior, and loved it at the same time. She bit her lips.  
Evelynn like staring in a mirror, did the same. Their eyes locked again.  
"Kali." the silver crowned demon's sultry tone was a poem to the rogue's ears.  
"Hm."  
"We can be _whatever you wish_." she said, adamant. "I've already given you something special." the second statement sounded more quiet, like Evelynn tried to hide her own feelings.  
"Yeah, that's _special_ all right." said Akali with a huff and whipping her head back. "I didn't think I'd need anybody else than myself in my own head."   
The statement made Evelynn feel like she was unwanted. The next one however.  
"But I enjoy having you there."   
Akali put a finger to her temple. Her scarlet eyes looking down at the demoness under her. She was still confused as to why Eve let her be on top of her like this. She felt the rumble of warmth from Evelynn's skin on her thighs. Again with the quiet nothingness, only the songstress' lips seemed to beckon for hers.  
The rogue's breath grew ragged. Evelynn mindlessly ran a hand from Akali's right leg to her lower back, and sat up. The red eyed rogue shivered as the hand slid up her spine with a sensual softness. That, and the fact Evelynn's legs pushed her up. The strength of the demon was definitely showing, but Akali didn't care much about being moved this way. Evelynn showed teeth. Her eyes filled with liquid gold, her pupils like blades of black cutting it harsh in the middle. Akali stared, without an ounce of restraint. Mesmerized both by the demon's eyes and her rose lips.   
Evelynn's Allure seemed to physically manifest around them, as a taste of smoke filled the room. Akali's eyes started glowing unnaturally.  
A devilish smirk growing on Evelynn's face as her skin slowly turned from pale pink to ashen gray revealing her true self. Akali didn't mind. Something inside her craved a heat only the demon could bring.   
Both a breath away from a kiss, they stood immobile. Enjoying each other in this odd contraption of smoke and embers... Embers?  
Akali's skin felt like red coals under Evelynn's touch. The songstress now fully in her demonic appearance, her gold eyes reflecting what she wanted to bring out of Akali.  
The rapper looked at her hands for a second. Realizing that the warmth wasn't just a feeling. Her skin was red hot, like molten metal still in the crucible. Everything felt hot and fiery, if it wasn't for Eve's smoke, Akali's room would have spontaneously caught on fire. She was containing her somehow?   
" _Hot_." teased Evelynn looking at the ifrit on her lap.  
"How did I do that?" asked Akali, her voice like a roaring fire. She surprised herself with the way it sounded.  
"I led you there, darling." stated the anthracite demon with a smile.  
"How?" asked the burning woman.  
"Like I can tame that fire." said Evelynn giving Akali a teasing lick on her jaw. "The exact same way I lit it."  
The tongue felt like a fresh breeze. Soothing the embers, turning them back into hot skin. Evelynn proceeded to give a gentle bite at Akali's right ear lobe. The shiver that grew from the root of the rogue's neck seemed to have taken her back into a more human look.  
"How do you do that to me?" she whispered under her breath. Enjoying the mouth more than she probably should.  
" _Just like you made me lose control Kali._ " Evelynn's whisper was so loud in Akali's mind.   
"How did you-"  
" _Hold it back?_ " she laughed " _Darling, I'm a demon._ " her voice was echo-y and distorted like it had happened before " _I deal with ifrits for breakfast._ "  
"Tell me how-" started the rogue.  
" _Let yourself be consumed by temptation. Let that fire burn free, darling._ "

At first the sentence didn't make much sense to Akali. But then she understood. Evelynn fed into all sorts of agony, but Akali wasn't suffering at all. It wasn't agony she was feeling, just complete freedom, no restraint, nothing to hold her back. That was what she meant. To give in completely meant to free herself from inhibitions.  
And so she did. The demon of lust under her still looking at her with hungry eyes was the first thing she desired. The first temptation she gave into.  
Her black hair lit up like a fuse. Evelynn taken by surprise by the heat emanating from the woman on her lap who gracefully caught on fire. Akali's lips pressed on the anthracite neck of the demoness. Leaving molten marks at each touch. Like a trail of fire from ash. Their eyes found each other. Lips on lips, heat almost unbearable, their kiss started as almost chaste. Breathing each other's air. And then rapidly became messy. Evelynn pushed Akali up. Using her lashers for help. The Allure was out of control. Like an addictive aura of frustration. At first a distant craving.  
Turning into a desire.   
A want.  
Need.  
They both stood in the bedroom for a minute. Looking at each other. Surrounded by the smoke that Evelynn liked to dress herself with. Akali breathed. Her throat felt like hot coals. They kissed again.  
Both going at each other's lips with recklessness. Between bites and messy tongue placement. The taste of iron.  
" _Oops. My bad._ " said Akali, licking her lips.  
" _So thoughtful._ " answered Evelynn, mimicking her.  
The rogue backed up for a second, caught her breath which felt like she was about to spit fire. She wondered about her tattoo.  
Evelynn could see the golden ink alive on the molten skin of the rapper. The serpent crawling over the embers of her back. A symphony of gray and gold brought to life by fire.  
The red eyes of Akali locked up once again with the golden opals of Evelynn. Their minds connected, it was as if Akali was looking at herself in the mirror. With more desire for herself.  
That felt narcissistic. She scoffed.  
 _*I wish you could see yourself as I see you Kali._ Evelynn's voice rang in her brain loud and clear, like desire itself.  
 _*And how do you see me?_ Akali kissed the demon's neck some more.  
 _*Like the most beautiful soul I have ever gotten the chance to taste._  
It was the most sincere thing Eve had ever "said" to her. And while it could have pushed Akali to keep going just like she had let temptation own her. Instead it made her stop. Instead of kissing the demon again, she caught her hands just like they had done before. And the unbearable heat became worse with the tinge of cold.  
Consumed, on fire, like a barrel of gunpowder exploding. They entered the soul link.  
Akali was resplendent. Scales of gray on her forearms and legs. Horns of molten rock. Hair of pure flame.   
Evelynn like a puff of black and magenta. Her own silver hair flaming with a royal hue. Her hands clad in violet claws. Her lashers like silky smooth leather whips. Thorns of lilac at their tip. And her eyes, liquid gold. Dripping on the ifrit.   
The kiss they shared in this pure shape of their own selves, was divine and unholy all at once. Like both their souls twirled around one another.  
Evelynn was the one to break the link.  
"All right. I think that's quite enough for now." she declared, almost stern. If it wasn't for the bite on Akali's earlobe.  
"Eve, you're killing me."  
" _Quite the contrary._ " she teased.  
Akali had turned back to her more human self. So had the demoness. Unsurprisingly, both were free of cloth. It didn't bother Evelynn. But Akali rapidly became self conscious. Her face turned red. She looked away from the naked songstress even though she really wanted to stare.  
 _*Fuck._  
"Language." said Evelynn almost neutrally. The demon was watching the rapper's every curve without any respect for privacy. It made her chuckle when Akali hid herself as well as she could with the nearby blanket.  
"I-I'll be back in just a second." stammered the songwright, grabbing new clothes, heading towards the bathroom tripping over nothing, muttering a cascade of swear words under her breath.  
Evelynn blatantly looked as Akali's ass peeked between the blanket and the door. She laughed.

A few minutes later, Akali returned. Evelynn didn't seem to have decided to wear anything else than a makeshift robe out of the bedsheets. She was lying down on the mess of sheets and blankets, just like those statues of Greek goddesses.  
"That was one of my favorite shirts." said Akali a pout adorning her face.  
"Maybe I should have told you to undress right away then?" said Evelynn, looking at Akali, still capable of picturing her bare.   
Akali scoffed with a laugh.  
"If you want me so bad undress me yourself." said the rapper with a weird amount of confidence.  
" _Is that a challenge, or a request?_ " Eve's voice mellow and soft like honey.  
Akali shrugged and blushed at the same time.  
" _You should be careful what you wish for, darling._ " teased Evelynn knowing clearly what effect her words have on the songwright.  
She tapped nonchalantly on the side of the bed, inviting Akali to join her.  
"I did mean it by the way." stated Evelynn.  
"Mean what?" asked Akali in return, sitting next to the demoness who was clearly still bare of any clothes.  
" _No sex._ "  
Akali was glad she hadn't yet turned towards Eve. Her breath hitched. But in an odd second wind she chuckled.  
"Okay." simply said the raven haired girl. "Your loss."  
Evelynn looked smugly at Akali's back. Secretly proud that nothing would happen unless both of them were okay with it.  
And as surprising as it was, Evelynn was far from ready. Every time she had taken somebody to bed, the bad that ensued always outweighed the good. And she didn't want anything bad with Akali. She didn't want to admit it, but she cared too much about her and the state of K/DA to risk breaking whatever it was they had.  
Ahri had been the only one of all these years of living, to keep up with her. How could poor little Akali even compare?  
"Just so you know though." started the rapper " _We_ won't change, whatever happens. I like us the way we are, and I won't let anything change that." she gave a side look to the demon next to her.  
Again with the honesty.   
Evelynn felt her heart flutter.   
She felt glad, and proud, even if she didn't fully know why.

* * *

The living room was glowing dimly from the synthetic TV lights. A bit of neon blue moving on Kai'sa's shoulders.   
Ahri was next to the kitchen isle, looking at the dancer, wondering if she was okay.  
Kai'sa was a ball of anxiety and questions. One feeling preventing the other to let her act and do what she should. Ask Ahri exactly what she wanted.  
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" asked the gumiho with extreme softness.  
Kai'sa shrugged and nodded at the same time in an awkward way.  
"You know Kai, you gotta relax, I'm not going to eat you." declared Ahri jokingly.  
Instantly, the dancer turned scarlet. Ahri sat close, too close.   
At first Kai'sa stiffened under the warmth of her bandmate's skin, but soon, the fur of one of her tails made it easier, and she gave in to the gentle nuzzle.  
"I-I uh..." began Kai'sa her throat was dry.  
"You don't have to speak if you don't want to. And whatever it is you say, it's okay." said Ahri putting a hand on one of Kai'sa's legs.  
The dancer cleared her throat. Mustering some sort of courage.  
"I was wondering why you kissed me." said the one with purple eyes.  
Ahri opened her mouth surprised. Closed it and opened it up again, searching for the right words. Kai'sa's face still clad in pink.  
"Kai I've told you. Right before I did." finally said the kitsune.  
"You haven't."  
"It seals the deal."  
Kai'sa pushed Ahri away gently to see her face.  
"I didn't mean that. Why did you kiss me _the way you did_?" asked the dancer.  
Ahri chuckled.  
"Was I supposed to give you a non enjoyable kiss or something?" joked the fox-eared singer.  
Kai'sa rolled her eyes with a nod, admitting that indeed, a good kiss was better than a bad one.  
"And besides. I like you." said Ahri mindlessly, turning to watch the TV instead of looking at the dancer who was holding her on the couch.  
Kai'sa stood silent for maybe ten minutes. Ahri didn't mind the quietness the dancer was taken by. The TV was distraction enough.   
Eventually Kai'sa broke the silence. Even though it was in a very soundless way.  
"I like you too." she said under her breath, she didn't know if she had been loud enough so that Ahri would hear, and if the fox had, she showed no reaction.  
But Ahri had heard very well and her heart felt full.

Kai'sa's hold grew tighter, to the delight of the gumiho. In a mix of arms and fur, they enjoyed each other. Nothing at this moment felt as comfortable as the gentle white noise of the television. Snow had covered the streets engulfing the city in a muted white.   
While Kai'sa and Ahri had fallen asleep in each other's arms in the living room. Upstairs was another story entirely.  
Akali was still sitting awkwardly next to a very naked Evelynn who was eyeing her voraciously.

For some reason Akali's direct honesty was something Eve couldn't get enough of. The fact that it always made her lift her chin pridefully, made Eve's hair stand on her neck. The eyes that Akali gave her every time she stated something in that way, made the demon question everything about herself.   
Akali knew it. But she also struggled with coming to terms with her own feelings. Until tonight, she had no idea what she wanted Eve to be. A lover? A girlfriend?  
No.   
She wanted Eve to be Eve. A demon, a songstress, a diva. With all the bad that came along with it.   
Evelynn, with all the bad, was a lot.   
But, _gods_ was it good to be bad with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I lied, I went down the rabbit hole and i had to go on and write that one. So this time im fairly certain i can wish you a happy new year, and catch u in the next one, hope u like it!


	11. ... Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: SEXUAL CONTENT AHEAD.

Evelynn stared at the rapper for a while in silence. Akali not directly staring back, but well aware of everything.

Nobody should have been allowed to look at her this way.   
Indecent, obscene stare of this dirty gold all over her lips and neck. Yet she still allowed _her_ to do it.   
The glare was sharp like knives, and it made her salivate with desire.  
Of course _she_ could feel all of that, she could smell emotions, smell her want.  
Smell the lust.  
She could hear her heartbeat dictate her moves.   
She could hear it rhythmically thumping through her ribcage, like a broken metronome.  
One sigh was all it took.

But what a sigh that was. The demon and the ifrit, eyes locked.   
Evelynn was the one who had sighed.   
It turned Akali's world upside down.  
A side glance filled with the ache for more.  
Temptation, of course, had become irresistible, as her tongue was running on her fangs just like a snake on dew covered blades of grass.  
Akali without her usual restraint was different. In a good way, according to Evelynn's standards.  
Hands running wild on the bare body of the demon, like a tiger clawing at its prey.   
While Eve was clearly more inclined to claw at Akali than the contrary, she still enjoyed the motions no matter. Akali's mind as if screaming _I don't have enough hands to touch all of you just like I want._   
  
It made Evelynn feel worshipped in a whole new way. She knew about being desired, and how desire would cloud human minds in a needy, self absorbed way.   
Akali's desire was nothing like it. It was honest and true, selfless almost. Just like everything Akali ever did. Clean of underlying hidden motives.   
Eve however had definitely _lied_. There was no way she could even resist the rogue herself. Especially now she had confirmed what she thought.   
Quiet moans, became louder. A song of pleasure ringing through their minds and tongues.   
Hands dancing on hot skin, digging in the ridges of the muscles along the spine, caressing with a thumb the toned physique of one another.  
Playful bites, smiles and mischievous broken laughs. The skin of their necks on fire under their jaws. Sweltering mists of ragged breaths after each pinch from their teeth.  
Nothing had ever felt so warm under Evelynn's touch. Ifrits were always particularly _hot_ but the way Akali's demonic influence vibrated.  
It was just unbecoming.   
Luckily, Evelynn reveled in the scandalous.  
Her magenta claws poking at Akali's hips. She made the rogue fall under her. In an outrageous lick, she stole another moan from the rapper.   
Sin dressed in gold eyes drinking from her like it was their last drink.  
Akali fighting back albeit passively. Stealing some of Evelynn's skin to mark as her own. A bite right under her left breast, bringing the sting of skin on the brink of breaking.  
Pain bringing new heights, the demon chuckled as she indulged the rogue in a potent snap of her own.  
Akali winced and squirmed under the fangs.  
A moan filled with agony, that Evelynn drank like the most delectable poison.  
The songwright felt the warm smile draw on her skin.   
Hungrily, she grabbed Eve's shoulders and flipped their positions. The bed cried from the sudden aggressivity. From above she saw the demon in all her beauty. A river of silvery pink, her mouth agape, lips glistening with lust.  
Her viper eyes glazed by her own desire. Chest rising and falling slowly under each masterful stroke of the rogue's hand.  
Her perfect face adorned with the imperfection of lust, and sin written all over.  
It suited her well.

Too focused on each other's warmth, they didn't notice the quiet roar of the blizzard outside. The wind was stinging with ice, and anyone with an ounce of magic in them could see this wasn't natural.  
But the two inside, couldn't feel the cold nor cared to pay attention to it. The only thing that mattered was to please the one in front of them.  
Gentle caresses and lustful embraces. It took a while for Akali to have her shirt taken away. Eve dictating her moves whether she was on top or not. The rogue was more than fine being told where to be, what to do, whatever it was for the diva to be satisfied. Tongues running on hot skin.   
_*I might have lied._ said Evelynn's voice in Akali's head. Their link so strong it felt like she was speaking directly in her ear.  
 _*Might?_  
Akali laughed. Both were almost completely bare, and had been making out for the past half hour. Evelynn chuckled as well.  
"Are you sure you want this?" asked the rogue, dropping kisses on the demon's jawline.  
"I should be the one asking you this." answered the songstress in a mellow tune. "But yes. I'm sure."  
"So am I." Akali's voice was raspy and low.  
Evelynn taken by her own irrepressible desire, lifted Akali up with her lashers, holding both her arms in a gentle tug of the leather clad ribbons. Akali let herself be handled by the demon like any sane person would both a bit scared and definitely turned on.   
The air was filled with heat and the faint smell of smoke mixed with sweat growing.  
The demon's claws ran on Akali's chest. Leaving the skin begging for more.   
Their lips clashed messily. Akali trying without trying to free herself from her bonds. But since she couldn't, she instead grabbed the diva with a skillful tug of her legs around her hips. The demoness rose her eyebrows and smiled in response, enjoying the eagerness, before diving in for another kiss.  
Her magenta clad fingers seized Akali's thighs before having her sit on her lap. The lashers still enthralling the rogue's by the wrists like gentle ropes. Akali while still being restrained, stole bites whenever skin was close enough, like a caged animal, pulling the lashers with force, but same force was given back.  
Evelynn put a hand to Akali's neck, pressing right under her chin with her thumb, her index and middle finger feeling up her jugular. She was giving pressure just enough so that Akali's breath hitched from the lack of control. Giving in the need, the black haired girl, mouth agape, let out a slow sigh.  
 _*Bite me._ she thought.  
 _*No._  
Instead of a bite, Evelynn's tongue ran along her neck. Sucking on skin with white noises making Akali's brain go dumb. Somehow the rogue's eyes turned misty from frustration. Evelynn feeling it took one of her hands low to pinch gently on her lower belly, teasing right above Akali's boxer shorts. Poking at the elastic fabric, pulling at it to release and let it slap the skin teasefully.  
 _*Take it off._ pleaded Akali.  
 _*Where are your manners dear?_   
They stared at each other hungrily, before Akali eventually gave in.  
 _*Please, take it off._  
Without a second more, Evelynn's claw like a precision knife, cut the boxers enough so that in one easy pull, the rogue's underwear was gone. The sound of the ripping fabric made Akali's hair stand on her back. Her muscles tensed up, hovering over Evelynn's skin. She felt herself shameless and depraved.   
Another hot kiss made her lower herself on the demon's leg touching her with her intimacy. A whimper of pleasure, guttural and animal. Evelynn echoed each sound with some of her own. 

Groans, murmurs of pleasure, desire overtaking. Evelynn put Akali flat on her back on the bed. Leaving a trail of kisses from her chest to her hips, Lashers still holding her like silken ropes. Fingers teasing, poking at nerve knots, pressing everywhere, ever so right, bringing her back to arch in need.  
Scalding breath over private skin.  
 _*What do you want?_ the demon's voice like a salacious cry.  
 _*Y-You._ Akali's own thoughts lost in translation from how Eve was holding her.  
 _*Elaborate._ ordered the silver crowned woman, giving hungry eyes from below.  
"Eat me out." said the rogue, so low she even doubted herself that she had said it.  
" _What's the magic word?~_ "  
"Please, eat me out Eve." begged Akali almost without sound.

Her tongue was like a sweet release. Loud cries of pleasure filling the room with debauchery.  
Evelynn surprising herself with how delicate of an ambrosia Akali's arousal was. Not leaving one drop escape, her tongue dancing with perfection on her clit. The rogue quivered, moaned some more. Eve released a hand for Akali to use. The girl almost instantly burrowed it in the silver river of hair on her thighs. Gracelessly doing so, but after a few seconds, she cupped fingers under Eve's ear, to have her lift her head.  
Wordlessly, the demon hovered towards Akali's lips.  
Tasting herself on her lover's lips gave her a newfound strength. And while she was still being held by the demon over her, she had one hand free, which she used to grab hastily at the back of Evelynn's neck. Pressing on the nerve endings at the back of her skull, she twisted gently, and took over. She felt herself wet on the songstress' hot skin, but ignored it altogether.  
Evelynn released her second hand, the lashers were hovering, staring, waiting for an order. The demon of lust letting herself be worshipped, felt the teaseful bites on her breasts, the sucking noises so delightful to her as she looked at the rapper eating her all up, leaving no part of her body untouched.  
Akali put two fingers low, first poking at the skin, lifting folds masterfully, drawing each as she went into her.   
Gasping for air, Akali stole her breath, kissing her senseless as she repeated the motion over, and over and over.  
When their eyes locked, they entered the soul link, and when Eve came, so did Akali.   
Their cry echoed in silence through both worlds.   
_*Didn't expect you to take over, I'll have to fix that._ Evelynn's thoughts were veiled in thick smoke, drugged with the pleasure and wanting more.

They went back to it almost instantly. Evelynn left no time for Akali to rest. More aggressive, needy, Eve pinning Akali to the bed with her lashers, forbidding unnecessary movement.  
Feral at touch, the demon leaving a trail of bite marks on Akali's ribcage. Between moans and howls, mixing pain and pleasure, drops of red sometimes pearling on the rogue's body.  
 _*Stop me if it's too much._ Eve warned.  
Akali lost herself in words and grumbled something unintelligible. It made the demon laugh. She did however wait for a clear answer.  
 _*Kali?_  
 _*Y-yes, yes. Just-_ she waved a hand dismissively.  
Eve laughed again, tempted to mock Akali's lack of capacity to even think. But did none of that. Instead she went back down, teasing with her tongue on the rogue's hip. Drinking the nectar the songwright was covered in.  
Akali's body soon started to shake in ecstasy.  
 _*So close already?_ questioned the demon.  
Evelynn was about to indulge. She pressed on the bundle of nerves from below.

****CRACK****

The door busted open. Kai'sa forcefully holding the door handle as she set sight on something she didn't really want to witness.  
"O-Oh my god." whimpered Akali rolling over in shame, attempting her best to cover her bare body with a blanket.  
Instead she fell off the bed, bringing a lamp with her. Evelynn's lasher catching it before it fell and broke.  
A weird contraption of drapes making it impossible for Akali to move. She was immobilized on the ground.  
Evelynn as bare as Akali, but for some reason Kai'sa didn't care about the diva's lack of clothes.  
"Bokkie?? Speak!?" ordered Akali.  
"Do you guys even look by the window?" said the dancer looking away. "Eve can you."  
Evelynn lowered a lasher for Akali to get up. In an awkward wiggle the girl freed one of her hands.  
 _*At least chivalry isn't dead._ thought the rapper. Evelynn chuckled.  
"Wh-Why would we, we were busy with _other_ things Kai!" blurted Akali angrily, frustrated to have been interrupted mid-coitus, as she sat on the bed, grabbing her shirt.  
Evelynn looked by the window.   
The blizzard raging outside was something unexpected. The songstress instantly realized this was Lissandra's doing.  
"They're setting everything up." she said factually.  
"Ahri!!" Kai'sa called.  
A distant answer from downstairs.  
"You were right!" added the dancer.  
Evelynn chuckled.  
"Care to join in?~" she said, mellow and clearly having a kick out of the dancer blushing.  
 _*They fucking bet on us having sex didn't they._ Akali thought giving Evelynn a pissed-off glare _*Also would you be so kind to dress up._ she asked.  
 _*Does my skin make you feel uncomfortable, darling?~_ teased Evelynn giving an intent look at Akali who was putting her shirt back on.  
Akali tutted loudly.  
 _*No. It doesn't make me feel uncomfortable at all but-_ her blushing betrayed the truth of what she was thinking.  
"Then I'll stay this way." she whispered to Akali's ear, playing along.  
Akali was upset but not to the point that she wanted Evelynn to really dress up again. She caught herself staring, biting her lips.  
Evelynn knew exactly what she was doing, to the other girls' dismay. Even though, for Akali it could even be categorized as despair.  
Ahri peeked through the door. Looked at the situation. Looked at Kai'sa's scarlet cheeks. Looked back at Eve's being naked on the bed.  
" _My my, you two have been busy._ " the fox hopped in, scrunched her nose at the smell, and picked up a piece of fabric that used to be Akali's boxer shorts. "Really, Eve?"  
Ahri's blue eyes stabbed the golden orbs of Evelynn. Akali turning redder by the second.  
The gumiho and the demon laughed first, in unison, soon to be joined by Akali's awkward giggle, Kai'sa repressing laughter as well as she could.  
Eventually all four of them were crying in laughter, the situation's awkwardness making them all refuse to take anything seriously.  
Evelynn put one of Akali's oversized sweaters on, and excused herself to the bathroom. Leaving Akali with Kai'sa and Ahri for a few minutes.  
"So you are a thing, hm?" said Ahri.  
"I guess. I don't think it changes anything though." answered Akali as she still felt uneasy, the lack of underwear obviously the culprit.  
"Congrats Kali." teased Kai'sa with a thumbs up.  
"Oh shut up." said the rapper, throwing a pillow at the dancer.  
They laughed some more before Evelynn came back. Dressed up and ready to discuss the blizzard outside. It was Akali's turn to run towards the bathroom in a mess of drapes. As she passed through the door, Kai'sa stepped on the trail of white cloth, which led to her tripping and falling over.  
" _KAI'SA!_ " yelled the songwright not really angry, but trying her damn best to keep her ass in the covers.  
Evelynn and Ahri laughed loud and true. The dancer blew raspberries teasefully at her friend that closed the bathroom door giving her the middle finger.

"So Eve." said Ahri. "What's your take on this." she added pointing at the snow building up against the window.  
"They're just expecting us. We need to wait it out either way." said Evelynn simply.  
" _Are you telling me that all of this was unnecessary and Kai'sa didn't have to do what she just did?_ " Akali's voice loud from the bathroom.  
Evelynn laughed.  
"If I were you, I would apologize to Kali profusely, we were _having a moment_.~" said Evelynn to the dancer.  
" _Oh you, interrupted them..._ " said Ahri with an arrogant smile.  
"That she sure did." said Akali, readying herself to hit Kai'sa with the blanket used as a mace when she came back from the bathroom "I'm going to-"  
"Girls." said Evelynn with an eyeroll, interrupting the fight.  
Akali stopped herself before she did anything. Kai'sa covering herself with her arm in anticipation.  
"We should probably try to plan something. I'm expecting our _guests_ will show up tomorrow, since Tommen pretty much lead Nocturne to us." stated the demon woman, resolute.  
"Like you said though Eve, we're going to have to wait it out." said Ahri. "Do you have any idea?"  
"Well we have fire incarnate right here." said Akali pointing at herself.  
" _Cocky._ " said Evelynn.  
Kai'sa and Ahri looked at Akali confused.  
The rapper stared at Evelynn with intensity, and her red eyes turned fiery. Then her face, her hair. Only barely contained by Evelynn's demon shade.  
"Woah, okay when did you learn that?" said Kai'sa incredulous.  
"Maybe two hours ago?" said the songwright with a shrug, turning back to her more human self. "You have Eve to thank for that."  
Ahri and Kai'sa's heads turned to the demon woman who was staring mindlessly through the window, putting a finger on the glass panel melting the white blanket with the heat emanating from her.  
She didn't realize that they expected her to explain what an Ifrit was.  
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, flippant.  
" _Ifrit._ " stated the songstress. "Aspects of fire, that link with a human spirit sometimes."   
"What you're telling me is that you knew?" asked the rapper.  
"I had doubts, yes."  
"Since when?" inquired Akali.  
"Since the _gift_."  
Ahri found Evelynn's answer self explanatory, she had knowledge of demonic influences, kitsunes being partially related to demons.  
Kai'sa however still looked incredulous at Akali.  
"So none of us is really human huh?" said the dancer.  
"Akali is still human." said Evelynn. "Her blood doesn't taste like ifrit blood. So it hasn't taken over yet."  
" _Hmm, kinky Eve._ " teased Ahri.  
Akali felt herself blush.  
"Right, so if we have to wait it out, and Akali's basically on fire. We could just- leave and pretend I never interrupted you, yeah?" said Kai'sa all too fast, trying to get Ahri to leave with her.  
Ahri oblivious as ever, or maybe knowingly pretending she didn't understand, stared at Akali.  
"I meant, we should leave _Ahri_." insisted Kai'sa.  
" _Right._ " said the fox eared woman with a giggle. " _Have fun._ "  
Akali thanked Kai'sa with a nod. As Akali closed the door behind them both, she could see the dancer giving her a side glance and a discreet thumbs up.  
She held back a laugh.  
As the door clicked into place. She gave it a lock this time.  
" _So... where were we._ " said Evelynn with a devilish grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so as you might have noticed, I added the final chapter count. I'm finally getting to the point where I know what's going to happen, and how I wanna go about and do it. So I'm giving myself a limit. 
> 
> Six more chapters seem to be a good number. Though i might still change it a bit later depending.
> 
> I hope you guys have had a great new year's eve, and drank responsibly!   
> Catch you in the next one!


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